Those speculations are based on the false promise that Ukrainian leaders will dance to music from the U.S. or UK. Poles never did, and as much as I understand Ukrainians, they dance to their own music.

On the facts, my reading of reports from the negotiations in Minsk tells me that Ukrainians had hopes that after failing to get Kyiv, Russians would be rational and withdraw. It seems that some Russian military leaders realized by then that they would never be able to conquer Ukraine. However, Putin did not welcome that practical approach.