The Russian dictator compared himself to the 18th-century Russian tsar Peter the Great, drawing the historical parallel of Russia "returning" lands they claim as their own.
June 10, 2022

If anyone is still so delusional (*cough* Macron *cough* Scholz) that Vladimir Putin will stop after he takes Ukraine they would be well-advised to view this clip, or watch anything that he's said for the past two decades. Putin wants a return of the Russian empire.

Source: The Guardian

Vladimir Putin has compared himself to the 18th-century Russian tsar Peter the Great, drawing a parallel between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to win back Russian lands.

“Peter the Great waged the great northern war for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned [what was Russia’s],” the Russian president said on Thursday after a visiting an exhibition dedicated to the tsar.

After months of denials that Russia is driven by imperial ambitions in Ukraine, Putin appeared to embrace that mission, comparing Peter’s campaign with Russia’s current military actions.

“Apparently, it is also our lot to return [what is Russia’s] and strengthen [the country]. And if we proceed from the fact that these basic values form the basis of our existence, we will certainly succeed in solving the tasks that we face.”

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