This came directly from "Z"....maybe 6 months ago. I'll find it...so don't hold me to it for now.
“Yes....he actually laid it out a while back....said....we’ll give them the land and stop the war...then we can join NATO and later...feign a squrmish and all the NATO countries will have to go after Russia and we will get our land back.”
Yep, that certainly was the thinking before Trump and for that Russia knew that they could not agree to a cease fire. But now, of course, joining NATO would be difficult as Trump would have to be in on it...so Russia could agree to a cease fire, but then why do something that helps the other side regroup?