In an interview, President Vladimir Putin considered Russia’s defeat in Ukraine impossible.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin According to him, Russia’s defeat in Ukraine is “impossible” and NATO must accept Moscow’s territorial gains there. Putin presented his views to a US talk show host by Tucker Carlson in a controversial interview, which was published early Friday Finnish time on the host’s own Tucker Carlson Network platform.
– There has been commotion and shouting about causing a strategic defeat to Russia on the battlefield, Putin said.
– I think it’s impossible. That will never happen.
Putin also said that Russia has no plans to expand the war in Ukraine, and that an attack on Poland or Latvia would not be out of the question, according to him. He dismissed such talk as pure intimidation.
Carlson asked if Putin could imagine a situation in which he would send Russian troops to NATO member country Poland.
– That could only happen if Poland attacked Russia. Why? Because Poland, Latvia or other regions simply do not interest us at all, he said.
The over two-hour interview with Putin, who spoke about Russia, was recorded in Moscow on Tuesday. In the West, Carlson’s interview trip to Russia has been generally frowned upon. The statements of the pro-Russian presenter have been pleasing to the Kremlin, and they have gained a lot of visibility in Russia.
Maybe an agreement on the release of the American journalist
Putin also took a stand on the American journalist who was arrested in Russia in March 2023 by Evan Gershkovich to the case. Gershkovich, who worked as a reporter for the American Wall Street Journal, is accused of espionage in Russia. Both the reporter and his employer have denied the claim.
According to Putin, it is possible to reach an agreement on the release of the American journalist.
– There is no obstacle to agreeing on this situation. We are willing to resolve it, but there are discussions on certain terms. I believe that an agreement can be reached, Putin said.
His counter-proposal was that the American journalist be exchanged for an assassin serving his life sentence in Germany to Vadim Krasikov. However, Putin did not directly mention Krasikov by name.
Sources: AFP, Reuters, STT