Putin not seeing Ukraine as a legitimate state does not, in no way, shape or form, infer that Russia wants the territory of Ukraine lock stock and barrel, other than the eastern regions, which Russia will likely keep/hold. But at any rate, the second largest country in Europe will indeed become smaller come the conclusion of this conflict.
I believe that Russia will push for the whole Ukrainean coast down to the mouth of the Danube: and also linking up with Transnitria.
The most likely border for the rest of Ukraine would - I guess - run broadly along the Dneiper river but with Kherson & Odessa incorporated into the Russian-aligned zone.
In the west: I’m not sure how far Poland will go with its irredentist claims on Lvov. But yes, I do expect that post-war Ukraine will be smaller.
If the neocons continue to pump weapons into NW Ukraine to maintain it as a permanant war ‘cash-cow’, then Russia may have to go further.
“Russia” as in the Russian people do not want this war nor a land grab.
However they have a dictator for the past 22 years called Putin who wants the land grab.
the original plan was for a swift strike, where the Ukrainian Army would be powerless to stop the occupation and the population would greet Russia as liberators, installing a puppet regime as in Belarus before going back home. They even mistakenly released news articles celebrating the victory on the morning of the 26th.
They had planned to announce the puppet regime no later than Monday, February 28th, to present the world with a new situation before anyone had time to react. In reality, the Spetsnaz units sent in to secure the airport and assassinate the political leadership were by then obliterated, the Ukrainian Army was resisting fiercely and successfully, and the Russian advance was stuck in ditches through their sheer incompetence. At the same time, severe sanctions against Russia were already in force and weapons deliveries to Ukraine were already on their way.
After so much destruction, Putin’s words ring very hollow now: “It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory; we do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force.”