Sure. The popular sentiment/protests were necessary but not sufficient is my point. Gorbachev was willing to give up power and a coup needed to be organized to

Sure. The popular sentiment/protests were necessary but not sufficient is my point. Gorbachev was willing to give up power and a coup needed to be organized to hold onto the Soviet Union. In this case, Putin is going nowhere unless he's removed at home by other Russian power brokers. Moreover if Putin gives up the war and goes home, he'll have no face to show in his own government, and he will be disgraced by the West; he's committed so far down this path that it's political suicide to stop.