What would give Vladimir Putin a face-saving way to exit Ukraine?

A woman walks past a 'No War' sign stuck on a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 29. (AP Photo)

Soon after Russia embarked upon its invasion of Ukraine, I argued that Ukrainians and NATO shouldn’t rush to dismiss Vladimir Putin’s peace terms in order to bring an end to the war.

Putin suggested that for the fighting to end, Russia would need not only a Ukrainian commitment not to join NATO in the future, but also to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Crimea and “independence” for the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. These still seem to be the principle Russian goals.