That Russia seeks to provide security to both the eastern areas and Crimea seems reasonable to me. These areas are populated by ethnic Russians and recent history proves they are at risk from the questionable leadership in Kiev.
It is inconceivable to me that anyone could be so foolish as to imagine Russia abandoning either the warm-water port in Crimea or the Russian populated eastern areas.
Russia will never allow these areas to be wrested from them, If there is any risk of that we will be looking at WW3.
The line has been drawn...everyone needs to cool off and face reality.. every side comes to this with unclean hands. To save us from destruction compromises must be made. The same sort of compromises that rescued us during the Cuban Missile Crises... both sides swallowed hard and moved on...
LOL, invading Ukraine and causing millions of refugees and massive devastation "seems reasonable" to you. Okay.
Spoke recently with a friend who served a lengthy tour in Ukraine with Army intel. He basically said what you are saying. Abundant pro-Russian sentiment in Crimea and Donbas, so a long hard slog between neighbors. Outcome TBD but little the West can do except keep the Ukrainians bleeding. Another Biden foreign policy atrocity.