2024-02-09 08:14:27
For more than two hours, Vladimir Putin gave a very subjective history lesson, assured that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine was “impossible”, swore that Moscow had no intention of attacking Poland or Latvia. , and said he was open to a prisoner exchange to free the Wall Street Journal journalist detained in Russia. Here are the notable moments of the interview granted by the Russian president to the American conservative columnist Tucker Carlson, posted online this Thursday, but recorded Tuesday in the Kremlin. This is the first interview with Vladimir Putin by a Western media since the Russian invasion two years ago. The Kremlin leader rejected several requests, including from the BBC and CNN.
By clicking on “I accept”, you accept the deposit of cookies by external services and will thus have access to the content of our partners.
More information on the Cookie management policy page
I accept
A 36-minute “history” lesson
“Is this a talk show or a serious conversation?” » Putin immediately tackled Tucker Carlson, who asked him if he had attacked Ukraine because he feared an American “surprise attack” via NATO. The Russian president, as in his televised interventions, then launched into a very subjective history lesson, going back more than 1,000 years, repeating that Russians and Ukrainians were “one people”. Carlson tried to interrupt him, in vain: Putin even brought out 17th century letters from the military leader of the Ukrainian Cossacks Bogdan Khmelnitsky.
War in Ukraine would be over ‘within weeks’ if West stops supplying weapons to kyiv
“So far there have been rants and cries about (the need) to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” Putin continued. “But now they seem to realize that this is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. In my opinion, this is impossible by definition. It will never happen. It seems to me that now those in power in the West are also aware of this,” added the man who launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “If this realization has been well understood, they must think about the following. We are ready for this dialogue,” he assured, asserting that the war would be over “in a few weeks” if the West stops supplying weapons to kyiv.
“No interest” in attacking Poland or Latvia
The Russian president also said he ruled out the idea of invading Poland or Latvia, two countries in which his country “has no interests”. “Those who say this are playing on fear,” he insisted. Putin, once again, accused the West and NATO of not having respected their commitments with the “ever further eastward expansion” of the Atlantic alliance.
Putin accuses CIA of destroying Nord Stream gas pipeline but fails to provide proof
Who sabotaged the Baltic Sea gas pipeline? “You,” Putin replied. “I have an alibi,” Carlson quipped. “You maybe, but the CIA doesn’t have one,” smiled the Russian president. However, he refused to present evidence, simply replying: “You just have to look at who had an interest, and who had the capabilities.”
A “possible” prisoner exchange for the detained American journalist
Vladimir Putin also affirmed that it was possible to find an agreement for the release of American journalist Evan Gershkovich accused of espionage and detained in Russia for almost a year. “I believe an agreement can be reached,” he said. “There is no taboo to resolve this issue. We are ready to resolve it, but some terms are being discussed through special service channels. »
Biden or Trump, it “changes nothing”
The Russian president also affirmed that the election of a new American president, scheduled for November 5 and which should pit Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Joe Biden, would “change nothing” in relations between the United States and Russia. Russia. “You just asked me if anything would change if another leader came along. It’s not a question of who the leader is, of the personality of a particular person,” Putin said. Who twice affirmed that a rapprochement between the two powers discussed with Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton had been “thwarted” by the CIA.
#War #Ukraine #Poland #journalist #detained #remember #Putins #interview #Tucker #Carlson