My view is that anything we can do to demonstrate that blatant aggression has catastrophic consequences for the aggressor is the policy we should be pursuing. So unless the ukrainians decide they want to give in, we should continue helping them bleed the Russians as much as possible.
The only reason I did not include Crimea in my previous comment is that while the people and land are currently being destroyed in East Ukraine, I don’t think that is happening to a great extent in Crimea. Therefore if Putin would pull out of the area he is totally destroying, Ukraine and the west could deal with Putin or his successors next year in Crimea if he is really in failing health and turning over some of the power. My hope, and my goal if I had power, would be to help Ukraine get it all back without a lot more death and bloodshed.
There might possibly be some negotiating room on Crimea. Ukraine to get all the oil and gas reserves for exploration and development. Posibly giving Russia some satisfaction for its century old quest for warm water port access. Enough for commercial shipping, no warships (no need to make Assad happy). A travel corridor outlined for commercial transport between Crimean shipping and Russian land. Some kind of supervisory capacity over what is transported in this corridor, no weapons, no drugs, no human trafficking. Perhaps multinational supervision and policing of the corridor. Just playing with possible ideas. Remembering my days when I helped negotiate some labor agreements successfuly. The bosses were macho Neanderthals, but we woman won our goals after a year of stalling settlment.
I would hope there might be some negotiating room for Crimea, Ukraine getting back the oil and gas resources for exploration and development. Possibly giving some satisfaction to