Vladimir Putin warns violence 'will get worse' and plans to take over all of Ukraine

03.03.2022 - 22:19 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Russia's attack on Ukraine is going 'according to plan' and the violence is set to 'get worse', Vladimir Putin has warned.

The Russian President made the harrowing comments to Emmanuel Macron, his French counterpart, during a phone conversation on March 3.

After hanging up the call at the end of the exchange, which lasted around an hour and a half, Mr Macron stated "the worst is yet to come".

According to The Mirror, an Elysee Palace spokesman said: ‘President Putin expressed his very great determination to continue the offensive, the aim of which is to take control of the whole country.

"President Putin said the Russian Army operation was developing according to the plan’ and that it would ‘get worse if the Ukrainians do not accept surrender terms’."

The ominous sentiment is a particularly unwelcome one as it comes as the Russian and Ukrainian sit down together for a second time to try and reach a ceasefire agreement.

There appears to be significant distance between the two side's demands.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that while his country was ready for talks to resume, Russia's demands hadn't changed and that he wouldn't accept any ultimatums.

Russian officials said Moscow's demands include Ukraine's recognition of Russia's hold on Crimea, independence for the separatist-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as "de-militarisation" and "de-nazification".

Yesterday Mr Macron denounced ‘the lies’ spread by the Russian government to justify a war in Ukraine, while saying he would continue to lobby Mr Putin for a ceasefire.

While also speaking to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Macron blamed the hostilities on Mr Putin.

"It is alone, betraying his international commitments one by one,