What a completely off-base analysis devoid of familiarity with strategy or context. The situation is very plain;...the coming Trump election win will see Ukraine forced to exchange territory for temporary pause of hostilities, thereby granting Putin the illegitimate win. In order to have a better hand of cards to play when forced to negotiate with the guilty genocidal maniacs, Ukraine needs something Russia is willing to trade for, or else Russia will only pretend to negotiate, gaining most of what they started the war over, which would compound more moral tragedy atop what they have already committed. To get their sovereign territory back, Ukraine needs to essentially hold Russian territory sacred enough that Putin would not dare allow to be kept.