Ukraine is by no means tiny. And the numbers you state are unrealistic to the point of absurdity. Things may in fact end well for Putin. He will be despised forever in the West, he’s old and cannot hold power much longer and Russia will spend at least the next decade distracted with a wide front. But there is a possibility he will consolidate territories taken, keep Ukraine out of NATO through pokiticking and pass on his power to a successor that would convince Western leaders to partially restore relations with Russia out of convenience.
Ukraine is by no means tiny. And the numbers you state are unrealistic to the point of absurdity. Things may in fact end well for Putin. He will be despised forever in the West, he’s old and cannot hold power much longer and Russia will spend at least the next decade distracted with a wide front. But there is a possibility he will consolidate territories taken, keep Ukraine out of NATO through pokiticking and pass on his power to a successor that would convince Western leaders to partially restore relations with Russia out of convenience.