“A cessation of hostilities and a “temporary” DMZ might be one way out.”
That’s a Neocon Dream at this point - to freeze the conflict - and then IMMEDIATELY put what’s left of Ukraine into NATO.
If Ukraine has basically nothing left to fight with, it’s hard to see how Russia will settle for anything less than a permanent solution to the problem.
And the two things that will be non-negotiable will be a demilitarized Ukraine (including no NATO, obviously) and a denazified Ukraine. It will have to be up to Ukraine and the West to convince Russia that they’re serious this time, or Russia will keep moving West, and may well wind up parceling out Ukraine to other countries if they have no other option to put an end to their threat.
At least that’s my take.
Trump has plans to end it for good.