I know they're portrayed as demands but they are actually...

I know they're portrayed as demands but they are actually negotiable which is why no one wants to talk to Russia. Once it becomes obvious they're negotiable it weakens the positions of those refusing to negotiate.

If you are looking at Russia's special military operation as they starting point of this entire situation then you need to undertake a closer look at what led to the event. NATO expansion has been a decades long issue for Russia. You don't have to take my word for it either. Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO, has clearly stated that Russia's act was a result of NATO expansion to the Ukraine.