I do not believe this was the case. I do not think anyone with half a brain thought for one moment that Putin intended to conquer Ukraine with a mere 190,000 men. I mean, Hitler needed 1.5 MILLION to conquer Poland, a much smaller and weaker state at the time.

No - everyone knew this was a "feint", a gesture to force Ukraine to the bargaining table, implement Minsk and swear off NATO membership forever.

Let's not forget the sequence of events:

24 February 2022 - Russia invades Ukraine and makes it to the outskirts of Kiev

28 February 2022 - Russian and Ukrainian delegations meet in Belarus to discuss a peace treaty.

29 March 2022 - The peace talks enter their final phase in Istanbul. Draft peace agreement is initialed by both sides;

03 April 2022 - At the request of Ukraine/Zelensky, Russia agrees to withdraw from Kiev as a "good faith gesture".

09 April 2022 - Boris Johnson arrives unannounced in Kiev as emissary of Biden and NATO and convinces Zelensky to tear up the agreement.

It is also important to remember that, under the proposed agreement - the one that Zelensky trashed at the West's behest:

1) The Eastern regions (all the territory that Russia now occupies) would have remained part of Ukraine.

2) Residents of the Eastern provinces would have semi autonomy and freedom to use the Russian language and worship in the Russian Orthodox Church, etc.

2) Crimea would have been decided at a future date, subsequent to long term lease and guarantees of access for Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

3) Ukraine would reinstate the original section of its 1991 constitution declaring that Ukraine would remain neutral and not join any military alliance or allow the stationing of foreign troops on its soil (i.e., NO NATO).

4) Ukraine would be free to join the European Union subsequent to a referendum.

I am sure these conditions are looking a lot better now.