Putin does not have to be on Russia's negotiation team
Putin would never show up at a peace conference, if only it wasn't to execute a document. There have to be many sessions between the diplomatic boffins, before he would ever show up.
no will on the side of Russia to end the war and I don't really know what their actual goal is
Putin made a proposal - what is that if not an indication of what our goals are?
I think the plan for this year is:
1) Active offensive operations throughout the Summer, in an attempt to set ourselves up for further success in the Fall. Nothing huge, but continuous advancement from the existing Ocheretino salient towards Pokrovsk in an attempt to sever Ukrainian ground lines of communication in that theater.
2) Another fixing operation somewhere in the Sumy or Chernigov areas, to draw further UA reserves away from the Donbass.
3) Continued strikes on Ukrainian critical infrastructure, with the exception of nuclear power plants.
Out of these - I think the strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure are the most important.
Zelensky says as much, when he tells his allies that anti-air defenses are the "number 1" priority. This is why Scholz has practically stripped Germany of air defenses, with his recent further commitments. It's why Biden is rushing Patriot missiles to Ukraine, etc, etc.
Ukraine will be hard pressed to survive the coming Winter. Already terrible popular morale, will collapse into the dumps - hopefully.
This war won't be resolved on the battlefield this year, but there's a good chance a diplomatic resolution will occur instead.
We need to keep piling problems on Zelensky. On top of mobilization, on top of collapsing incomes, on top of flood-like emigration, on top of energy starvation, and total corruption.
If we bury him politically, then the job at the front will also become easier.