No, I think you are right, and that's an opinion that will get you flamed by basically everyone for saying. If Putin wanted Ukraine he'd have turned Kiev to rubble and shot a hypersonic missile up zelinskies ass. I think he wants Ukraine to remain relatively stable and not get completely subsumed by insane radicals, and if that means the war has to go on for a couple/few years at least it doesn't end looking like Libya, and that might mean leaving zelinsky in charge and waiting for the Ukrainians to strike themselves out. Its fucking stupid that we have responded by telling them to throw more bodies at a meat grinder to turn back an agreement everyone there wanted, we have some sick people in charge.
Discussion
I think Nato's goal is to weaken russia as much as they can while not sacrificing their own troops. So far it seems to be working. It will take probably over a decade for russia to recover from this, possibly longer.
Maybe, but at what cost? The US dollar as the world reserve currency is seeing cracks in the foundation, the Saudis are looking for an exit, military recruitment is the lowest its been in decades (new recruits for nonspecialized roles are getting bigger sign on bonuses than I got as a nuclear reactor operator/electronics technician less than 10 years ago), African countries are inviting Wagner in to remove France and are looking to replace the west with Russia and China, and of course the mountain of bodies on which the threat of nuclear war rests. This is to add to the fed causing banks to go under and still failing to curb assets and equities, a deepening social divide, etc, etc, etc.
We aren't in a position to take on the war in Ukraine, and I stand unconvinced that Russia is in the dire straights everyone seems to believe.