In his revealing interview for 5kanal, former Ukrainian president addressed his experience of dealing with Russia’s leader.

You should not fear Putin for once you start fearing him, you lose, said the Ukrainian politician adding that  leaning back on ‘interests of the democratic world’ and its ‘values’ is what can be the best ‘leverage’ for Western leaders in standoff with Moscow.

Poroshenko reminded Warsaw faced the same pressure from Putin when Poland was joining the NATO, but the West never flinched and showed the issue was not Russia’s business.

Russia is a ‘regional power’ striving to claim rights of a ‘global leader’, warned Petro Poroshenko, noticing that despite its far-reaching ambition Moscow’s economic powers are still  sapped due to slow economic growth, which makes Putin threat others with rockets.

Showing Putin the ‘price’ he will have to  pay for his invasion plans is the only thing that can hold him back, added Poroshenko.