@Korvinus
Ukraine would have had zero practical effect on Russia militarily or politically
Indeed. Which really just adds to the negative effects of Putin's legacy for Russia. Not only has the war proven utterly disastrous for Russia, it was also completely avoidable.
Imagine the world we would live in today from a Russian point of view if Putin had taken the diplomatic victory that was offered to him in January 2022. Russian prestige and military reputation would still beincredibly high in the eyes of the world, while the USA would still be reeling from the defeat in Afghanistan. Russia would still be trading with the West at favourable conditions, while the relevance of NATO in the perception of its' members would continue to decline. A lot of the ressources that went into the war could have be invested into Russia (those not stolen by Putin and his entourage of course), preventing the mounting failures in Russian infrastructure, which is only getting worse with time.
But yeah, fighting a multi-year full-scale war over heavily destroyed territory that is heavily undermining Russia's economic development and geostrategic position is much more preferable... .
Reminds me of how historians sometimes ask the question: "How would Hitler have been perceived today if he stopped after Munich 1938".