The West's support of Ukraine is getting them all killed anyway. Might as well lay down your arms and have some working-age males to rebuild the country with after surrendering.

They could have made peace near the beginning of the war and they rejected it. Russia offered to hand back Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts and withdraw in exchange for Ukraine giving up aspirations of NATO and not trying to acquire nuclear missiles, but Ukraine refused. Hardly the rhetoric of a bloodthirsty warlord.