The likeliness that this war will be fought out is much bigger than a negotiated peace sometime in the coming months, sad to say. That's the thing about war; it has its own momentum, its own dynamic, fueled by growing resentment and hatred. In 1944-45 Wehrmacht officers hoped to negotiate a truce between the Allies and Germany once Hitler had been removed. Not only did Hitler stay on until the very end, which destroyed Berlin and costed an additional 100,000 civilian lives, the Allies, and in particular the Russians, would never have agreed to open negotiations. The same scenario applies to the war between 'Nazi' Russia and the Ukraine. Putin needs to realize that the West will never give up on the Ukraine, even at the expense of escalating the war. EU countries will need to up their game though; Republicans might grow tired of their commitment to Zelensky. The only additonal political pressure can come from China. The West can put pressure on China only via its economic relations and by raising trade barriers.