>>4910
The bottom of the second image is obviously fake. Why post it?
>>5154
The Ukraine invaded Kursk, and American politics are shifting away from the Ukraine. One candidate has already said he will end the war between the time he's elected and takes the oath. Zelensky has campaigned in America in support of this candidate's opponent, and a recruiter betrayed America for Zelensky's cause by trying to kill this candidate. It could be a scramble to take as many strategic areas as possible to force an overwhelming advantage at the diplomatic table while not triggering American or otherwise Western intervention. If the Ukraine turned down peace negotiations, it's unlikely this candidate would do nothing to stop Russia from wiping the Ukraine clean of its adult male population until it returns to the negotiations.
It's the same reason why the conflict in Israel has been heating up. There needs to be a clear winner or else support from the West could become spotty, which is to say, tactical, strategic, diplomatic, and humanitarian strings may be attached to aid in the future. Israel would be allowed to wipe Palestine until it's willing to sign a deal just like the previously described situation, but Israel is invading Lebanon and striking countries across the Middle East. While the method of mass decapitation may be agreeable to the new administration, the US will have to step in and make them stop. It already pours money into the surrounding neutral and friendly states to prevent them from steamrolling Israel. Letting them continue is bad for business.
Obviously, Russia can't replicate Israel's strategy of mass decapitation, for its PR would be disastrous. However, it would be on the table if the Ukraine didn't agree to America and Russia's terms, and they may be able to go even further by killing Zelensky, which would still be bad PR since American elections only see leaders in office for a maximum of eight years, and Americans have a very fragile sense for foreign relations. Repairing Russia's image in such a scenario would be extremely difficult. Putin is aging. He doesn't want to deal with that, especially in the face of his long time goal of repairing relations between America and Russia as a check against China and Europe. Thus, it would be reasonable to make the Ukraine hurt as much as possible to end the war quickly, boosting the popularity of the current administration and America's new administration, which it seeks to make friendly.
In the case the other candidate wins, Russia will still want to take as much as it can, since the end goal is to force a peace. However, the Ukrainian government may go into exile in such a scenario, and this other candidate will try to escalate the conflict, potentially into war.
>TL;DR
There will be a new American president soon, and the Ukraine has spat in Russia's eye by invading its homeland in what Russia has deemed a non-war. They could continue pushing to take as much as possible before negotiations, even if they won't keep the territory, so the Ukraine will have to accept terms or face the death of its adult male population and potentially its military and political leaders, since Israel, a nation America is an ally of, has established a precedent of killing as many civilian and military leaders as possible as fast as possible. Even Zelensky's head could roll, for one of the potential new American presidents has been shot at by an American who values the Ukraine over America. However, Putin would have to spend his old age repairing relations over this and definitely doesn't want to as it would hurt his geopolitical, economic, and cultural goals. If the other potential new American president wins, Russia wants to scramble and force the immediate conflict to end, even if the Ukrainian administration flees the nation and America escalates.