Journalist Tucker Carlson released his interview with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, which is over two hours long, despite extreme pushback.
Putin Says Ukraine “Belongs” To Russia
American news anchor Tucker Carlson released a much-anticipated interview with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the White House expressing concerns about giving the Russian president a platform.
Carlson previously said Elon Musk gave him the green light to post the interview on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and promised he would not take the video down even if pressured.
Tucker acknowledged the risks of meeting with such a high-profile leader but says it is the sworn duty of the press to inform the public.
The Russian media reported on Tuesday that “Tucker got what he wanted” and held the interview with the Russian leader.
“Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they’re implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it because we are Americans, too. Freedom of speech is our birthright. We were born with the right to say what we believe. That right cannot be taken away, no matter who is in the White House. But they’re trying anyway,” Tucker said.
“Almost three years ago, the Biden administration illegally spied on our text messages and then leaked the contents to their servants in the news media. They did this to stop a Putin interview that we were planning last month. We’re pretty certain they did exactly the same thing once again. But this time, we came to Moscow anyway. We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin. We are here because we love the United States and we wanted to remain prosperous and free,” Tucker said.
The interview is Putin’s first formal sit-down with a Western media figure since he began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Carlson and Putin talked about a range of topics, including the war in Ukraine, the history of Russia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia’s current relationship with the U.S.
Putin spent more than 30 minutes giving a history of Russia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine in a monologue that took viewers from the ninth-century rule of Oleg the Wise to the struggles of the 1300s through to a critique of Lenin’s foreign policy.
Putin defended his decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022. And he said the West now realizes that Russia will not be defeated, despite US, European, and NATO help to Ukraine.
“Up until now, there has been the uproar and screaming about inflicting a strategic defeat to Russia on the battlefield. But now they are apparently coming to realize that it is difficult to achieve, if possible, at all. In my opinion, it is impossible by definition,” he said.
Putin said he remains open to negotiations with Ukraine to end the conflict but claimed the U.S. was using the country as a proxy and stymying efforts to find a resolution.
“We’re willing to negotiate,” the Russian president said. “It is the Western side, and Ukraine is obviously a satellite state of the U.S. It is evident.”
Putin also suggested, without evidence, that the CIA was responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in 2022.
Watch:
He also aimed a message at the US Congress, where Trump-dominated Republicans are increasingly reluctant to keep backing Ukraine with weapons and other military aid.
“I will tell you what we are saying on this matter and what we are conveying to the US leadership. If you really want to stop fighting, you need to stop supplying weapons,” he said.
When asked if Moscow would consider invading other countries in the region – NATO members Poland and Latvia – or generally across the European continent, Putin said that was “out of the question.”
“We have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else. Why would we do that? We simply don’t have any interest. It’s just threat mongering,” Putin said.
Here are the key moments from the interview:
- 00:02:00 – Putin Gives a History of Russia & Ukraine: Putin begins by outlining the historical ties and conflicts between Russia and Ukraine
- 00:25:04 – NATO Expansion: The conversation shifts to NATO’s eastward expansion post-Cold War
- 00:30:40 – NATO & Bill Clinton: Putin criticizes former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s role in promoting NATO expansion
- 00:41:10 – Ukraine: The discussion moves to the specific issues within Ukraine
- 00:48:30 – What Triggered This Conflict?: Putin provides his perspective on the events that led to the escalation of conflict in Eastern Europe
- 01:02:37 – A Peaceful Solution?: Carlson probes Putin on potential pathways to a peaceful resolution, where Putin outlines his conditions for negotiations.
- 01:11:33 – Who Blew Up the Nord Stream Pipelines?: The conversation takes a dramatic turn as Putin addresses the mysterious destruction of the Nord Stream gas pipelines
- 01:24:13 – Re-establishing Communication with the US
- 01:36:33 – How Powerful is Zelensky?: The Russian leader assesses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s influence and capabilities within the context of the conflict and international politics.
- 01:48:36 – Elon Musk & AI: Carlson and Putin explore the topic of artificial intelligence and the role of influential figures like Elon Musk in shaping the future of global technology and security.
- 01:51:07 – Imprisoned American Journalist Evan Gershkovich: The interview concludes with Putin’s comments on the case of Evan Gershkovich, the American journalist detained in Russia, signaling a complex issue in U.S.-Russia relations.
When Putin was asked about a possible change in leadership after the US election, where Biden is expected to face off against Trump in a rematch of their 2020 contest, Putin indicated he would see little change.
“You just asked me if another leader comes and changes something? It is not about the leader. It is not about the personality of a particular person.”
Joe Biden has branded Putin a “war criminal” and has made backing for Ukraine’s elected, pro-Western government one of the key priorities of his presidency.
Lawmakers from the European Union (EU) have threatened to sanction Carlson due to his interview, on the grounds that Putin is a war criminal and that Carlson is “assisting” him by giving him a platform to speak.