He's already told the Russian nation that Ukraine isn't a country and its citizens are really Russians. He's negated recognition of Ukraine and can't now back down and say or imply the opposite without losing enormous credibility with Russians, including the oligarchs and the military.
Authoritarianism is what rules Russia. Putin is the ultimate authority. Failure is as unacceptable as admitting that Ukraine is a separate nation. Putin's entire life and status rests with the myth of invincibility. It's absolute. Either he wins everything or he loses everything.
Notice his "negotiating" position: He will stop destroying Ukraine and killing its people if he gets Crimea and the eastern provinces. He only negotiates if he wins. And from his previous gutting of agreements and treaties, he's a known liar who has no good-faith bargaining position with anyone. So we know that he has no intention of leaving Ukraine alone if he can annex some of its country at no further cost. He wants to reconstitute the USSR and only sees these annexations as a small step toward the bigger leap. Again: Putin is a BAD-FAITH NEGOTIATOR. IOW, He's not qualified to negotiate in good faith.
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