Anyone complaining about the stubbornness of the Europeans and how they continue to fuel the Ukraine conflict while refusing any diplomacy must always bear in mind that there is a high probability that the Europeans are looking for reparations payments in the event of a Russian defeat. The EU (but especially the UK) is facing severe fiscal turmoil, with recurring turbulence on the bond markets. Think of what happened in England a few quarters ago. Both the expropriation of Russian assets and the attempt to get the Americans more involved again point to the same strategy.
You have to read Fiat Circus in this way to understand why Putin has apparently declared the Donbas a zone of fiscal bleeding of the West.