Andrei Kozyrev, the former Russian minister of foreign affairs, spoke with ABC News Live about the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he says was a friend.
"I don't know what happened inside his head, but it's different person, especially politically, it's totally different," he said. "I know that there are positive situations when a soul becomes full. But perhaps there is room for reverse, you know, when a good person becomes a bad person, and serving this regime, it just makes me feel sick, that he's doing that."
Kozyrev said Putin has been making several miscalculations, particularly with how Ukrainians and the West would react.
He added that he believes Putin's inner military circle would prevent him from using the "nuclear button."
"They risk everything, their families, because the nuclear war is a doomsday machine for everyone. It's suicidal. So somebody will stop him," he said.
-ABC News' Nadine Shubailat, Zoe Magee and Rahma Ahmed