Separatists who took up arms to protect their homes, language, and lives.

The shelling went both ways, yes. And my point above is that it's not going to stop just because one side suddenly flees. Unless you're talking about all Russian supporting / speaking citizens fleeing their homes, we'd be right back where we were pre-2022. But worse, because the European hawks would be emboldened to antagonize even more. Possibly a move to full NATO membership, for example.