Intermission will be an arms race: a healthy and reinvigorated NATO vs a depleted and sanctioned Russia. The areas that have a true, referendum-confirmed Russian majority will never be more than a thorn in Ukraine's side and a constant temptation to Putardsky, so let them go.
This half time break is an opportunity to prepare for the inevitable confrontation to come. All the former East Bloc NATO members need to be equipped with and trained on modern high tech DEFENSIVE weaponry, and practiced in joint operations and logistics. Hardened communications, command and control and mobile guerrilla style tactics need to become second nature. Well trained and integrated Swiss/Swedish/Israeli style civilian militias need to be the norm, with Ukrainian advisors to put an edge on them.
NATO needs to build a solid wall on its eastern flank that's impenetrable to attack, but clearly and obviously incapable of mounting an offense. If an offensive is needed, that task falls to US, UK, France, and Canada. Given formidable enough obstacles, Putardsky or his successors, deprived of their pretext, will have to back burner Humpty's resurrection.