Russian President Vladimir Putin compared himself to Peter the Great, the nation’s first emperor, last week because each of them tried to seize territory he believed belonged to Russia. Putin made the remarks during a speech celebrating the 350th anniversary of the emperor’s birth. Putin spoke during a visit to a multimedia exhibition about Peter the Great, an 18th-century leader who led the conquest of the Baltic region amid war with Sweden. Putin explained that Peter the Great saw the earth as rightly Russian, drawing a parallel with the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. UKRAINE WAR: MARIOPOLI SERVICES FEAR CHOLERE FROM CONTAMINATED WATER SUPPLY CAN KILL THOUSANDS Russian President Vladimir Putin compared himself to 18th-century Russian emperor Peter the Great on Friday. (Alexander Demyanchuk, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) “Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years. He seems to have been at war with Sweden, he took something from them,” Putin said. “He did not take anything from them, he returned [them]. “ “It seems that it has fallen to us to return [what is Russia’s] and strengthen [the country]. “And if we proceed from the fact that these core values ​​are the basis of our existence, we will certainly be able to solve the tasks we face,” he continued, referring to the invasion of Ukraine. The current Russian president also stressed that no European country recognized the city of St. Petersburg as Russian when it was founded by Peter the Great. “It is impossible – you understand – impossible to build a fence around a country like Russia,” Putin said. Putin has repeatedly tried to justify Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began in late February. The invasion has caused tens of thousands of deaths, millions of displaced people from their homes and disrupted the world economy. UKRAINE REALLY RETURNED FROM RUSSIA PART OF THE EASTERN CITY SIEVIERODONETSK A Ukrainian soldier shows a kindergarten destroyed by a military strike as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, Ukraine, April 16, 2022. REUTERS / Serhii Nuzhnenko (REUTERS / Serhii Nuzhnenko) UKRAINE FINISHES FROM AMMUNITION, SAYS SENDING INFORMATION Ukrainian forces have shown resilience so far, holding the capital Kiev, an area where US intelligence was initially expected to fall to Russia within 72 hours of the invasion. However, Russia has taken control of Mariupol, a key port city, and continues its stronghold in much of the eastern part of the country, although Ukraine said earlier this month that it had regained control of part of the eastern city. Sievierodonetsk. CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION