A former Russian president has warned that Vladimir Putin may be planning a 'pro-Russia empire' - which would stretch all the way from Portugal to the most eastern part of Vladivostok.
The chilling statement came from ex-president and the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
Mr Medvedev claimed that Putin launched his illegal invasion to bring peace to Ukraine, in a Telegram post.
Medvedev said: "To change the bloody and full of false myths consciousness of a part of today’s Ukrainians is the most important goal.
"The goal is for the sake of the peace of future generations of Ukrainians themselves and the opportunity to finally build an open Eurasia – from Lisbon to Vladivostok."
He further accused "Nazis, murderers and collaborators" of stirring up "Russophobia" in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Mirror UK reports.
The ex-Russian leader also said Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine was undertaken in a bid to "demilitarise" and "de-Nazify" the country.
Medvedev added the offensive "will not only be decided on the battlefields".
He also questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian sovereignty saying: "The passionate part of Ukrainians has been praying for the Third Reich for the last 30 years."
And he went one further by firing a warning shot to anyone who attempts to seize Russian property on an international level, saying: "Our opponents … should understand that they will face a large number of cases in courts.
"Both in the national courts of the United States and Europe and in international courts."
Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the people in Ireland in a special address to a joint sitting of TDs and Senators.
Many of the TDs and Senators were dressed in blue and yellow colours, to show support for the country.
The Ceann Comhairle welcomed him to the Dail in both English and Ukrainian, before President Zelenskyy confirmed that overnight attacks had continued.
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