The UK's Defence Secretary has fired a warning to Vladimir Putin as the Russian invasion of Ukraine begins its 13th day.
Ben Wallace lashed out at the Kremlin as he discussed the ongoing conflict on national TV and radio this morning (March 8), as another temporary ceasefire was announced by Russia.
He suggested Russian forces were 'getting more desperate' as the invasion rolled on without 'getting its way at all'.
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And Mr Wallace turned his attention to Mr Putin - who has served as Russia's president for 18 of the last 22 years - insisting the conflict would prove to be a fatal blow for his rule.
The cabinet member told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: “Whatever we think about President Putin, he is done. He is a spent force in the world. No one will be taking his phone calls in the long term.
“He has exhausted his army, he is responsible for thousands of Russian soldiers being killed, responsible for innocent people being killed, civilians being killed in Ukraine.
“He is reducing his economy to zero, because the international community has decided that is absolutely unacceptable, what he’s done.
“So he is a spent force in the world and I don’t know whether he thinks that’s a clever thing to be, but that diminishes his own country in the world and he has to take responsibility for that.”
Mr Wallace went on to suggest the war would be 'Putin’s end' as it would prove an 'impossible task' to occupy Ukraine.
His comments followed an earlier appearance on BBC Breakfast, where suggested Russian forces were 'doubling down on brutality' while their desperation increased.
“Russia has still not been making its advances, it’s day 13," added Mr Wallace.
"That northern column that we have often talked about is still pretty much stuck, I mean really stuck, so that’s not advancing.
“Russian casualty rates are continuing and what we have seen is – yes – a number of the cities have been effectively encircled, but when Russian forces try to enter they are either repelled or they only manage to take a small part of the cities, suffering very large casualties.
“So, Russia is not getting its way at all, despite overwhelming forces. It is getting more desperate, which is why we see huge amounts of indiscriminate shelling.”
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The Defence Secretary was speaking on a morning that had seen Russia announce another attempt at a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors in Kyiv, Cherhihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.
Ukraine's government says an evacuation route is now in use from the northern city of Sumy to Poltava, further south in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence claimed overnight that Russia had been deliberately targeting evacuation corridors with strikes, killing civilians.
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