During the negotiations for a peace between Germany and the fledgling Russian Soviet Republic, Germany asked for (compared to what they got) very light concessions - the surrender of Lithuania and Poland to the German sphere of influence. This was very light compared to the final treaty (created because of the Soviets' attempted sustained armistice), which forced the Soviets to recognize the independence of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine and Lithuania. While the treaty soon became defunct, the Ukraine was the only territory they managed to retake.
Would the Soviets have been in a better post-war position, had they signed the treaty earlier?