Putin’s speech harked back to Russia’s empire – the threat doesn’t stop at Ukraine

‘Disregard for reputation and credibility is a chilling indication Russia will not be constrained.’ Protesters at the Russian embassy in Kyiv, 22 February. Photograph: Ümit Bektaş/Reuters

Vladimir Putin’s lengthy speech justifying the dismemberment of Ukraine said much about him but also contains chilling warnings for the rest of Europe. And European states must heed those warnings if they do not wish to be the next victims of the Russian president’s imperial ambition.

It’s long been known that Putin hankers for a lost age of Russian dominance over its neighbours. Calling the collapse of the USSR the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century” is one of his most-quoted (and most misunderstood) historical judgments.