Does Putin Want to Lose or to Win After a Prolonged War?

Last week, Russia was doing surprisingly bad:

What's Gone Wrong For Russia? A Former Top NATO General Explains
3.III.2022 | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Fsn8zF2wY

The setup seems to have favoured that:

Masala: "Kapitale Fehler, die wir den Russen nicht zugetraut haben" | heute-journal
4.III.2022 | ZDFheute Nachrichten
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVaq5lahAuE

So, what is Putin's real game, if it is not winning the Ukraine war quickly?

Présent (Saturday 5.III.2022) is stating how the French hitherto Putin friendly people are being demonised.

Then there is this:

Ukrainian refugees reaching Polish train station share their stories
7.III.2022 | 60 Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD_Etmv3Qm0

One of the two hospitable Poles is explaining, around 11:44, that this is not just a disaster in Ukraine, but in all European cities.

Then there is the fact that when Franco rescued José Moscardó Ituarte in the Alcazar of Toledo, he lost a chance to quickly settle the war by walking to Madrid. Some point to the fact that José Moscardó Ituarte's sacrifice was greatly symbolic, but some to the fact that by a drawn out war, on 1.IV.1939, Franco could deal with a population that was very tired of war, very unlikely to oppose his power.

Some people should think over what Putin really wants .../HGL