VLADIMIR PUTIN regards Ukrainians as “traitors” to the Kremlin and plans to “annihilate” the nation, according to a former White House adviser.

According to Fiona Hill, a British-born foreign affairs analyst, the Russian leader will have simply re-adjusted his tactics after encountering severe opposition from Ukrainian forces.

“He wants to remove them [the Ukrainians] as a danger,” she told The Times.

“I believe he is progressing from capture to devastation and carnage.” The Russian approach to neutralising a danger is to thoroughly demolish it.”

Hill also argues that sanctions are the best way for the West to deal with Putin since he “has a high tolerance for devastation.”

“Putin has a very high tolerance for this kind of carnage, the loss of personnel,” she went on. And I believe he believes this, and we’ll have to see if it’s tested to see if the Russians would agree.

“He’s not going to sue for peace, so everything we do to figure out how to get out of this has to make Putin appear like he’s won something in his eyes.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a visit to Bucha on Monday, telling reporters that “these are war crimes that will be recognised by the world as genocide.”