> Are you keeping a diary of what is going through your mind?
I try to note the basics down, but I'm not a megalomaniac so i sure hope he keeps everything down for his legacy.
> He has gained significant territory in Ukraine in less than half a year which is not slow unless you expected he would concur the largest country in Europe in a week (in which case watch less Hollywood movies). The different NATO invasions all around the world are multi year projects, but Putin is delusional? Afghanistan was what, 20 years?
Russia was expecting a victory within a few days. The fact that they've been bogged down and had to give up on 2 of their 3 avenues of advance and the campaign is now approaching half a year, alongside the very heavy losses in men and matériel are indicative of a failure. The facts that they're conscripting en masse from the Donbass, getting museum pieces out of the reserves (like T-62s and Tochkas), have almost no air presence, use unguided munitions, have lost their Black Sea Navy flagship only add to that colossal failure.
Regarding Afghanistan and Iraq, those were multi-year affairs of occupation. The invasions lasted what, weeks-low months? And that's even more indicative of Russia's failure, their army is exhausted and is barely 1/10th of the way to conquering Ukraine, and if they manage to achieve that they'll have to occupy it for which they don't have the resources.
Meanwhile their economy is in shambles, manufacturing and imports of all sorts of stuff has stopped or has to take longer and much more expensive routes.
Yes, Europe will suffer in the coming winter, and yes, we have high inflation. Russia's inflation is worse and their economy is definitely in a worse shape. European decision makers knew full well sanctions on Russia will also heavily impact their countries - that was, to an extent, the whole point of economic cooperation, to make a conflict unthinkable economic suicide. Putin left them no choice, so the Russian economy is going up in flames while European economies are struggling and scrambling to find alternative fossil fuel sources from other dictators.
> I wish I had your unshakable trust in how good the West is doing in this conflict
This conflict isn't between the "West" and Russia. It's between Russia and Ukraine, and the latter are fighting for their survival, with lots of help from "Western" countries.