Look, if Ukraine decides to end the war (on whatever terms), that's their choice to make. It's sure not our place to tell them that they ought to surrender, though. If they decide that being under Russia is worse than all the suffering, that's their choice. (And they may have more data than you and I do...)

There's a line from the Bible: "those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives". This isn't exactly the way the Bible meant that phrase, but... If your position is that preserving life is the most important thing, and I can credibly threaten to kill you, then you become my slave. You'll do whatever I tell you, to try to save your life. That's a horrible way to live. It's even more horrible when the one doing the threatening is a sociopath.

I think some things are worse than death. "Live free or die" isn't just a propaganda slogan. A free life is far better than a life as someone's slave.