Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not end his aggression into Ukraine until he “recreates the Russian Empire.”

Speaking with Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation,” Gates, who served as Defense secretary under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said that despite the recent ceasefire discussions, Putin won’t stop until Ukraine is part of Russia.

President Donald Trump has been hoping to meet with Putin in person to discuss conditions on bringing the war to an end. When asked by Brennan if one could realistically interpret Putin’s intensions by looking him in the eye, Gates responded, “I’m not sure even in a face to face that you can judge Putin’s intention.

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