It is looking more likely by the day that Russia takes Odessa "for good", along with a lot of the western part of Ukraine that many people thought Russia would stop long before then. I think there is some bargaining going on with Belarus/Poland/others in regards to what they can have as part of the Western part of the deal. This is why we are seeing the Russian sabre rattling towards Poland right now.
Russia should not give in to the first peace agreement that the new Ukraine government offers, instead keep moving forward during the period to maximize its gains and kill off Western interests in the region. Obviously if Ukraine continues to exist after the current government leaves then the West will keep trying to destabilize the region hoping to regain control. Better to just cut the head off now even if the short term pain is worse.
