I'm the Foreign Minister of Sweden. Don't Overestimate Russia.

[Torchlight]

7. Putin has tied his political legitimacy to this war he created

I think at this point, the cost of the casualties lag far behind the cost of consequence should he being to draw down. I gave up my last hopes last summer that Putin would make a rational, though humiliating decision and save what's left of his army when he decided 75,000 casualties justified a 5 sq. mile advance into territory presenting him zero additional advantages or benefits.

I'm beginning to believe that outside a military catastrophe, only the popular will of the Russian citizenry will eventually see Moscow stand down. If he withdraws, or even moves the goalposts again on his definition of victory, he's a dead man (politically, if not otherwise) and I think he's fully aware of that.