This can’t be emphasized enough. Prigozhin’s antics could be used by Putin to save face, to withdraw from Ukraine while blaming the failure of the special operation squarely on the treason of the exiled Wagner chief. A small force being able to march all the way from the front to Moscow is plenty of ammunition to push the narrative of needing to defend the country against invasion, to pull out of Ukraine to secure the homeland.

Russia will just fight to the death instead, wasting this golden opportunity to survive longer term.