Russia is not "taking Ukraine". With a Ukraine defeat Dunbas remains independent, as they declared eight years ago.
I don’t seriously think Putin will stop there if he has the military to take Ukraine outright.
Does Ukraine’s defeat in the Donbas mean they could not stop the Russian westward movement to Kiev? I don’t think so, especially if no peace accord is reached after completing the Donbas takeover.
Russia has always been a conquering Eurasian nation, always. What gives Putin a second thought about taking over historical Ukraine from the “Nazi’s.”
“Russia is not “taking Ukraine”. With a Ukraine defeat Dunbas remains independent, as they declared eight years ago.”
I think there’s a very chance that Russia does take the above, and more, as they are now Russia-fying much of the region they control, like Mariupol.
But I do agree that was not a goal prior to the war, or even early into the war. An expanded outcome is now necessary domestically for Putin to justify the expense of the war, and make it clear to the West that there will be a price to pay for trying to be ‘cute’ over there in lieu of taking his phone calls.