Putin doesn`t want Ukraine in NATO and so far NATO didn`t want Ukraine, that would`ve been a easy "Putin demand" to meet. We (the West) could/could`ve unilaterally deescalated by removing troops and challenging Putin to do the same. It would`ve been cheap and the troops could easily been brought back at the snap of fingers.
As it is, all the scary drones Ukraine has and all the threats and extra troops... Putin still came in and got a slice of the Salami.
