Former President George W. Bush
Former President George W. BushFlash 90

Former US President George W. Bush spoke at the Yalta European Strategy forum which was held in Kyiv on the weekend, and told a story about Russian President Vladimir Putin insulting his dog when he was in office.

"He saw my terrier and said: 'Is that even a dog?'. Then, in Moscow, he offered that I see his dog. I agreed, and he pointed to a huge dog, saying it could easily cope with mine. I was surprised and said it offended me. To which Putin only asked: 'Why?", Bush said.

The former US President said he believes this story is highly indicative of Putin's nature.

"He is always looking to prove his strength. But he saw Russia as a weakened state, and so he felt resentful of the whole world," said Bush.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Bush admitted that support for Ukraine might decline after the US presidential election.

"There are isolationist tendencies in both parties. Therefore, someone must explain to Americans why Ukraine is so important. Should Ukraine fall, what will be the fate of its neighbours, particularly Poland or Romania?" he said.

Bush also said he believes that Washington has no right to impose peace terms with Russia on Kyiv. "The US may advise, but not impose its idea of peace," he stated.