Secretary Blinken: I think one of President Putin’s objectives is to re-exert a sphere of influence over countries that previously were part of the Soviet Union

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is driven by a desire to restore the old Soviet Union.

Asked by a CNN reporter - Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said a few years ago that what he believes drives Putin is a desire to restore the old Soviet Union. Do you agree? - Antony Blinken replied that he thinks this is true.

"I think that’s right. I think that’s one of President Putin’s objectives, and it is to re-exert a sphere of influence over countries that previously were part of the Soviet Union. And as we’ve said, that’s unacceptable. We can’t go back to a world of spheres of influence. That was a recipe for instability, a recipe for conflict, a recipe that led to world wars. We’re not going back to that," Blinken said.