Putin said that id you dont lament the fall of the soviet union you have no heart but if you want to rebuild it you have no brain.
I think he knows Ukraine is lost. He wants it broken so it becomes a strategic liability for the west rather than a military asset.
Putin just had the same ask since 2014 . He doesnt want nato weapons near his country. He will create a tampon zone using the east of ukraine. Just as a reminder think about what americans did to escape the cuba missiles