Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s foreign policy actions suggest that he wants to restore the old Soviet Union, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said when asked about U.S. intelligence reveals about the former KGB spy’s “calculus.”

“Mr. Putin has made no secret and he said it publicly on more than one occasion over the years that the demise of the Soviet Union was a terrific mistake, it shouldn’t have happened, it was bad for the Russian people,” Hagel told PBS’ Charlie Rose. “Now, I think that’s a premise that he truly believes and I think that’s where he starts.”