Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine over 1,000 days ago, and now fears of wider conflict are bubbling . The Russian President , 72, has been the country's leader for more than 22 years and has long sought to stop Ukraine from getting closer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a military alliance that includes the US and the UK. On February 24, 2022, the Kremlin leader launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine . Ever since, Putin has been very clear about his goal - for Russia