Is Putin Really Influenced?

I would very, very much doubt that. ordinary Russians care that much about hairstone specifically. It's one of these things that matter to, as much as anything else, the self-image of the leader but also within elite circles. Is Putin going to be more willing not to micro-manage? If he does, if he has come to internalize some kind of uncomfortable awareness of the degree to which his micro-management is actually acting to the detriment of his war effort then conceivably Russia will be a more formidable threat to Ukraine. Still, it's not in any way going to be decisive, but nonetheless, it would help drag things out.