Vladimir Putin behaving like 19th century emperor, says Bill Clinton

Russia will pursue political dominance not co-operation, says former US president

A firefighter works at a residential district that was damaged by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

A woman removes pieces of broken glass from a shop window after a bombing in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP

Residents clean the street outside apartments damaged by shelling, in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP

A man walks at a residential district that was damaged by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Rescuers work at the site of buildings damaged by shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Launch of missiles by the coastal missile system 'Bastion' on infrastructure facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from an undisclosed position in Crimea. As a result of a strike with long-range precision weapons, an arsenal with weapons and military equipment of Ukrainian troops in the village of Orzhev, 14 kilometres north-west of the city of Rivne, two Tochka-U launchers near Kiev, and eight anti-aircraft missile systems were destroyed. EPA

Pictures lie amidst the rubble of former teacher Natalia's house which was was hit in a military strike, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

A Ukrainian serviceman rests at his position in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

A hug for a child at the railway station in Przemysl, near the Polish-Ukrainian border, as Ukrainian refugees make their way out of the war zone. AFP

Displaced Ukrainians on a Poland-bound train bid farewell at Lviv, western Ukraine. AP

Ukrainian servicemen rest in Kharkiv. AP

A car wrecked and burnt by shelling in a street in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

A member of pro-Russian unit in uniform without insignia handles a mortar round at a weapons depot near Marinka, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Reuters

The aftermath of shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. EPA

Nurses in tears after Russian shelling of a psychiatric hospital in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine. AFP

Candles and lights form a giant peace sign during the Avaaz vigil in front of the European Council and Commission buildings in Brussels, Belgium. AP

A wrecked car in a ruined street in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

Rescue workers at an industrial building damaged by an air strike in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

The monument to the Duke of Richelieu, one of the founders of the city of Odesa, is covered by sand bags. Near by, a placard shows the building before the Russian invasion. EPA

People clean up a room in an apartment building in Kyiv destroyed in an air raid, as Russia presses on with its invasion of Ukraine. Reuters

An instructor shows citizens how to fire the weapon during a shooting training session in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. Reuters

Russian troops hurl stun grenades at demonstrators protesting against the invasion, in Kherson, Ukraine. Reuters

Ukrainian servicemen stand guard at a military checkpoint in Kyiv. AFP

Ukrainian refugees Sasha Alexandra and Olena embrace shortly before being allowed to cross into the United States to seek asylum in Tijuana, Mexico. They fled their city of Dnipro this month and travelled to Germany before flying to Mexico. AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a broadcast speech in Kyiv, calling on citizens to 'drive the occupiers out'. EPA

An unexploded rocket in a cemetery in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine. AFP

A portrait of a young woman who died during a Russian attack, next to her fresh grave in the Mykolaiv cemetery. AFP

Tents set up for Ukrainian refugees inside a train station in Bucharest, Romania. AFP

Workers cover a sculpture outside the home of Lviv National Opera to protect it from damage amid fighting in Ukraine. Reuters

Olena, the mother of Denys Snihur, a 25-year-old soldier killed by Russian shelling in the northern town of Ovruch, mourns him at his funeral in Lviv. Reuters

All that is left of a shopping centre after shelling in Kyiv. AP

Civilian volunteers attend a Ukrainian Territorial Defence Forces training camp in Brovary, north-east of Kyiv. AP

Refugees at a temporary accommodation centre in a school gymnasium in Taganrog, Russia. EPA

Oil storage tanks burn in Chernihiv, Ukraine, in a satellite image from Maxar Technologies. EPA

President Joe Biden discusses the US response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the Business Roundtable CEO Quarterly Meeting. EPA

The wreck of a Russian military vehicle near Kharkiv. EPA

Firefighters work at the site of a shopping centre bombing in Kyiv. Reuters

Seven-year-old Amellia Anisovych, a refugee from Ukraine, sings the Ukraine national anthem at the start of a fund-raising concert in Lodz, Poland. Amellia became known for singing a song from the film 'Frozen' in a bomb shelter in Kyiv. AP

People queue at the National Stadium in Warsaw to apply for ID numbers that will entitle them to work and receive free health care and education in Poland. AP

Checkout tills are damaged at a supermarket in a shopping centre that was damaged in a bombing in Kyiv. Reuters

Cars are damaged at the site of a bombing at a shopping center in Kyiv. Reuters

A woman comforts a boy while refugees wait for Ukrainian police to check their papers and belongings in Brovary, Ukraine. AP

A refugee family sit in front of a tent at a temporary shelter offered by the Free Christian Church in Uszka, Hungary. Getty Images

Firefighters carry a ladder across the debris following Russian shellings that destroyed the Retroville shopping mall in Kyiv. AFP

A rescuer inside a shopping mall damaged by an airstrike in Kyiv. Reuters

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has shunned the world's political order in favour of domination over fellow nations in a manner previously seen in the 19th century, former US president Bill Clinton has said.

The Russian president has acted more like his country's past emperors, with scant regard for modern political relations, he said.

Mr Clinton made his comments during a virtual talk for Dubai's Tech for Humanity Awards on Tuesday.

“Russia does not plan on political co-operation with its neighbours — they basically want political dominance,” said Mr Clinton.

“Putin has this 19th century concept that Russia would work better if the leader was what Catherine the Great and Peter the Great were.”

He identified the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the one of the greatest dangers facing world peace.

“There was an attempt at the end of the Cold War to create a Europe that was united, basically democratic and completely at peace,” said Mr Clinton, who served in the White House from 1993 until 2001.

“There was an enormous amount of social and economic change.”

He said one of the key breakthroughs in establishing that peace was convincing Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons.

Former president Bill Clinton speaks about the war in Ukraine at a tech awards event in Dubai on March 22, 2022. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mr Clinton said he met with former Russian president Boris Yeltsin and other leaders at the time to help establish deals that would guarantee peace in the region.

“It was very important to preserve the dignity and the respect for the countries of the former Soviet Union and give them a chance to work out their own future,” he said.

“We worked together to manage the expansion of Nato.

“Ukraine was the third biggest possessor of nuclear arms at the time but they gave them up.”

West allowed Russia to 'avoid Ukraine recognition'

Mr Clinton said that he pushed for Russia's recognition of Ukraine's territorial integrity to be officially ratified, but Russia declined to commit.

“I received a letter back saying because the dividend was not ratified by a treaty that Russia does not agree with it,” he said.

“It still terrifies me that nobody has thought about that. What’s playing out in Ukraine is getting a lot of headlines — but I’m not sure if people are seriously studying what happened.”

Russia began its invasion of Ukraine at the end of February.

So far, the UN estimates 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the conflict, with a third of them becoming refugees.

Mr Clinton also took the opportunity to warn about the dangers that nuclear weapons still pose to the world.

“The more countries that have nuclear weapons, the more dangerous the world is,” he said.

“Nuclear material can be sold, stolen or given away and it’s one of the reasons there have been so many differences of opinion about how to deal with Iran.”

Abraham Accords have brought stability

Mr Clinton lauded the UAE for its efforts to normalise relations with Israel and the signing of the Abraham Accords.

“The Arab states and Israel speeded up their reconciliation partly because they have a common adversary and face threats from terrorism,” he said.

“The Abraham Accords were a moment of opportunity that came out of both hope and fear.

“For too many years in the Middle East, economics and politics were kept separate.”

He added the agreement was a clear framework for countries in the region to work together.

The former US president also suggested the UAE and the wider GCC could become leaders in the battle against climate change.

“It’s in a great position to lead on this, even though oil is still important to the economy and will be for some time,” he said.

“The reason I say this is because the region has an almost unlimited capacity for solar and wind power.”

The awards, organised by Forbes and the Aviram Family Foundation, celebrate the achievements of Middle East and North African start-ups in creating solutions to environmental and social challenges.