“It is not smart for Russia to expand a military reach into areas whose people will be forever hostile to a Russian presence.”
They’re kind of forced into it, since NATO will use whatever is left of Ukraine to turn it into a forward attack base (as they were in the process of doing a year ago, just prior to the beginning of the liberation of Ukraine).
How, exactly, the Russians end the war is, thankfully, their choice, but it will only end when Russia feels safe enough from NATO aggression to not need more territory.
Even if that takes them all the way to the English Channel?
Should it also work in reverse? How far into Russia should it’s neighbors go before they can feel safe enough from Russian aggression to not need more territory?