Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Mr. Putin's ambition is to 'revive the Soviet Union'

In an article in The Guardian, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin called for dialogue with Russia only from a position of strength.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister calls on the West to put pressure on Russia.

The West should not trust Russia, the diplomat said. "The security of Europe and the West" is at stake. He also accused Russian President Putin of having ambitions for a "new Russian Empire" and "reviving the Soviet Union."

"The Ukrainian government is fundamentally different, but we understand the Kremlin's way of thinking: with Russia, as any diplomat working with Moscow can confirm, it is possible to negotiate only from a position of strength and international solidarity," the Ukrainian foreign minister asserted.

Mr. Klimkin also said that Russia today is "the greatest threat to the security and unity of the West since 1945," so "there can be no lifting of sanctions."

Mr. Klimkin has also used anti-Russian statements in the past.