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We don't know that - and sadly, it's not that unlikely. But if they don't retreat from those regions while it's still an unknown, it will just give Russia prete

• dragonwriter 5y ago
  > If they don't retreat from those regions while it's still an unknown, it will just give Russia pretext to invade entire Ukraine. According to Ukraine, Russia invented the pretexts it has already cited for the “need” to intervene in those two regions, so from Ukraine's perspective, avoiding given Russia a “genuine” (given Russia’s nakedly illegal claims) pretext has zero marginal cost, since the absence of a “genuine” (even given Russia’s preexisting propaganda position) pretext has no evident impact on Russia’s willingness to act. Given that, Ukraine has little rational reason to consider providing a pretext under Russia’s propaganda framework to be a significant factor.
• vorpalhex 5y ago
  You don't scede territory in hopes that it might make your adversary content. That has basically never worked historically. Russia already has invented a pretext for "pacifying" Ukraine. The response must be sudden and overwhelming force. Put another way, when someone has broken into your house at night when it is obviously occupied, you do not hand over your wife or children in hopes your own life may be spared. You respond with an escalation of force.