Vladimir Putin's aim to establish dominance has always been a feature of his dogged personality, and this is something that became clear when he waged war against rats as a child.
The Russian President's upbringing was not filled with the extravagant luxuries he is able to enjoy now, as vermin would often ravage his bleak childhood home in a Soviet apartment block.
In First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait, published in 2000, he writes: “There were hordes of rats in the front entryway. My friends and I used to chase them around with sticks.
”Once I spotted a huge rat and pursued it down the hall until I drove it into a corner. It had nowhere to run. Suddenly it lashed around and threw itself at me. I was surprised and frightened. Now the rat was chasing me.
“Luckily, I was a little faster and I managed to slam the door shut in its nose. There, on that stair landing, I got a quick and lasting lesson in the meaning of the word cornered".
The anecdote paints a picture of the ruthless nature of Putin's personality, as he takes a similarly aggressive stance towards Ukraine.
The Russian President arrived as a "miracle baby" and was battling against the tide for much of his childhood, with his former school teacher Vera Dmitrievna Gurevich saying of his living conditions: “There was no hot water, no bathtub. The toilet was horrendous. And it was so cold, awful".
Putin was small for his age, while also being reportedly bullied as a child, so he had to quickly adapt.
The Russian President's "ambitious" and "greedy" nature has seen him come on leaps and bounds, establishing Russia as a global superpower, with many fearing what his next action will be.
SPUTNIK
Meanwhile, Russia has started evacuating its embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia as the region braced for further confrontation after Vladimir Putin received authorisation to use military force outside his country and the West responded with sanctions.
Hopes for a diplomatic way out of a potentially devastating war appeared all but sunk as the US and key European allies accused Moscow on Tuesday of crossing a red line in rolling over Ukraine’s border into separatist regions — with some calling it an invasion.
Russia began pulling personnel from its diplomatic posts in Ukraine, state news agency Tass reported, a day after the Foreign Ministry announced a plan to evacuate, citing threats.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Russian flag was no longer flying over the embassy in Kyiv, according to an Associated Press photographer. Police surrounded the building.
After weeks of trying to project calm, Ukrainian authorities signalled increasing concern on Wednesday. The Foreign Ministry advised against travel to Russia and recommended anyone there leave immediately, saying Moscow’s “aggression” could lead to a significant reduction in consular services.
