Vladimir Putin lashed out at the Western “empire of lies” Monday as he huddled with officials to discuss the economic turmoil of the 5-day-old war.

“I invited you to discuss economic and financial issues… bearing in mind the sanctions that the so-called Western community - an empire of lies, as I called it in my address - is trying to implement against our country”, - said the Russian president.

The heated rhetoric came a day after Putin’s ordered to put the country’s nuclear triad deterrent on alert.