Former president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has issued a simple warning to the West about the Russian President: "Don't trust Putin."
Vladimir Putin "considers himself an emperor... very close to God", untouched by "rules, international laws, and normal democratic human values", Mr Poroshenko told 7.30.
From 2014-2019, Mr Poroshenko was president of Ukraine and commander in chief of its armed forces as it faced its most dire crisis of the post-Soviet era — the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
In short, he has dealt with Mr Putin many times.
"Don't trust Putin. But at the same time, second recommendation, don't be afraid of Putin," he said.
As Western leaders threaten and cajole Russia's leader against a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Mr Poroshenko had this request: "Please no concession to this situation. If you give him a finger, he take the whole arm."
It was Russian separatists who were blamed for shooting down MH17, killing 38 Australians.
Mr Poroshenko hasn't forgotten Australia's support for his soldiers.
"I want to thank the whole Australian government, the Ukrainian diaspora, because in the most critical years we received a significant amount of assistance, including the clothes for military, boots, blankets, goggles, helmets, and that helped me equip my troops to protect our soil," Mr Poroshenko said.
'Already eight years in the war'
Mr Poroshenko is back in his home country and back in politics despite facing charges of treason that he said were "politically motivated".
"The most important thing is the unity of the nation," he told 7.30.
As Ukraine's military and citizens prepare for an even larger military crisis, Mr Poroshenko was quick to politely remind foreigners that the conflict from 2014 never ended.
"We are already eight years in the war. And this is not a frozen conflict. This is the fourth one and every single week Ukrainian losing our hero, our soldiers. Every single day, we have wounded soldiers," he said.
He believed the only way to stop a full-scale invasion was to raise the costs for Russia. The UK and US have already supplied anti-tank weapons, but Mr Poroshenko said anti-aircraft weapons would also help significantly.
"We are now in the important negotiation about the anti-aircraft missiles and we should renew their practice of lend-lease from World War II, when American and Western world supply us the weapons."
Increasing Ukraine's ability to shoot down Russian fighter jets is a deterrence, he told 7.30. "It is a defensive weapon."
Don't give Putin veto, Poroshenko says
The United States has threatened to cut Russia off from the international finance system and ban Russian gas via its Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Europe.
But Mr Poroshenko had other ideas to deter Mr Putin, which Russia would see as a provocation.
"The best answer for the Putin blackmail, it is very simple," he said.
"In the middle of this year, at the summit of NATO in Madrid, Ukraine and Georgia should receive a Membership Action Plan. This is not yet the membership, but this is the very strong and effective stimulus [against Russian aggression]."
To do otherwise, he told 7.30, would be giving the Russian president veto power.
"If you give a precedent to Putin, who will have a right to give the permission, green light or red light to Ukraine for our NATO and for our EU integration, I think Putin will reach their goals. Putin blackmailing is effective against all democracy, against the whole European Union," Mr Poroshenko said.
Watch this story on 7.30 tonight on ABC TV and ABC iview.
