By current administration do you mean Ukraine, the US, or EU? And I agree, the only way to negotiate with him is with an air of respect. But since he is an autocrat, and wants a win=win, how do we reconcile that with the fact that the vast majority of Ukranians absolutely do not want to sufer his autocracy. I do not see a happy ending. I do think we are wise not to poke the atomic bear. If he is truly dieing of cancer or something else, it would not be impossible for him to be quite willing to take the whole world with him. Does he love anyone, wife, child?
However, if he wants his reputation to survive in the eyes of some, he has to have a “good” excuse for whatever terrible things he does. So better to not have a no fly zone, since most of the bombing is with land based missiles anyway. Also flying MIGS from Germany to Ukraine, not a good idea. No excuses for using those nukes. Best to keep sending the Stingers, etc. and also perhaps mine the waters off Odessa and other suitable spots. Good sniper rifles are fine for killing officers, and pray someone in Russia can see Putin as their prey, successfully.
I’m wondering if Putin might be, in his own way, looking for a reset by firing all those generals. I really have no idea where his head is, or if I’m just hoping to see something that isn’t there, but in all honesty, if it weren’t for all Putin’s nonsense, Russia would probably be a lot further along with a higher living standard. That fact can’t have escaped him.