Putin said on Thursday that the Ukraine invasion is about expanding Russian territory.
Putin said it was his destiny to "return and reinforce" Russia like Peter the Great did.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said publicly for the first time on Thursday that his invasion of Ukraine is about expanding Russian territory, which Western leaders have long maintained.
"On the face of it, he was at war with Sweden taking something away from it," Putin said of Peter.
Putin's attempts to expand Russian territory started long before his invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Just two days before invading Ukraine, Putin said claims he wanted to restore the Russian empire were false. »