Read through this summary peace plan this evening and it strikes me that with bold enough leadership and some courage, this or something quite like it could work. I know the author but at least for now, they’re remaining anonymous. Apparently they have more expansive plans for each of these elements: 

‘Summary Peace Plan: 

End result by 2030:

Both Ukraine and Russia are full members of the European Union.

Both Russia and Ukraine are members of the Northern Hemisphere Treaty Organisation (NHTO), which is a restructuring of NATO to bring in Russia, with the byproduct of removing Russian from the Chinese military orbit and protecting it from the PRC.

NHTO’s Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe is a job held for five years at a time. Out of every twenty years, 15 will be led by an American, 5 by a Russian. This treaty should have at least a 100 year term.

The European Union will have established a bicameral legislature. The existing European Parliament will be the lower house (with members from Russia and Ukraine added) and a European upper house/senate will balance out the larger member countries vs the smaller countries with an equal number of senators from each EU member.

Russia will keep Crimea, the Kursk salient will immediately return to Russia, the Donbas will remain part of Ukraine. The areas of the Donbas occupied by Russia as of January 1, 2025 will be administered by an international peacekeeping force until 2030 and shall then come under regular Ukrainian administration within the EU.

The above settlement will require constitutional/treaty change in the EU. This will require referendums in a small number of member states (possibly only Ireland because of its unique constitutional arrangement). That referendum should be held rapidly and can be promoted as a "peace" referendum as that is what is would be.

The admission of Ukraine to the EU should completed by January 1st 2028. Admission of Russia by January 1st 2030. This will require both countries to align their economies and regulatory structures to be as EU compliant as possible by those accession dates.

Why do this? What are the wins?

The war ends; the border between Ukraine and Russia becomes as open as the border today between France and Germany or France and Belgium.

China’s designs on Russia are stymied, China’s effort to divide the West fails. Russia secures its eastern flank. 

Zelensky saves Ukraine, keeps it sovereign and independent and brings it into the EU.

Putin achieves what Peter The Great failed to achieve and brings Russia into "the West" while adding to Russia’s prestige by recognizing its central importance to the security and preservation of Western civilization. Russia also opens up its economy to major investment and development as a full EU member.

America is locked in as the military leader of the NHTO alliance and the alliance can credibly contain even a much stronger China for the next century.’