Russian President Vladimir Putin is endeavouring to build a pro-Russian empire stretching from "Vladivostok to Lisbon", a former Russian president has warned.
Ex-president and deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Putin launched his brutal invasion of the former Soviet republic to bring peace to Ukraine, in a Telegram post.
The shocking allegations were made as Western leaders shared fears Moscow is planning a new military offensive in southern and eastern parts of Ukraine.