FM of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba - "Let’s call a spade a spade. Putin demands the U.S., NATO & the EU to accept Russia’s sphere of influence over sovereign neighboring states. But the Cold War is over, and so are spheres of influence. Putin’s demands are illegitimate and harmful to international peace and security."
Putin has mobilized over 75% of Russia's combat brigades as well as logistic and fuel support units and has concentrated them near the border of Ukraine.
Putin wants war and he thinks he can start an aggressive hegemonic conventional war and defeat NATO in a military conflict. With the USA presidentcy occupied by a dementia patient who is controlled by China, Putin thinks he has a historical opportunity for a geopolitical gamble he thinks he can win.
He has committed to much manpower, money and equipment to the military build up that he can not back down without causing fatal political damage to his ability to stay in power.
The diplomacy will go nowhere and is a stall tactic to gain more time for his military build up to continue.
Unfortunately, Kazakhstan surprised Putin and forced him to divert elite combat forces from the west to the south. Having a conflict on potentially two fronts has complicated his war plans.