The conservative American presenter Tucker Carlson engaged in a blatant promotional campaign for Vladimir Putin, conversing on camera with the Russian leader in Moscow on Tuesday, February 6. The video of this meeting, Putin's first with a Western interviewer since the invasion of Ukraine, was released on Thursday. In this two-hour message to America and the West, Putin asserted that a Russian defeat in Ukraine was "impossible."
"Up until now, there has been the uproar and screaming about inflicting a strategic defeat to Russia on the battlefield," he told the former Fox News star host, in a large room where the two men sat facing each other. "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. It is never going to happen. It seems to me that now those who are in power in the West have come to realize this as well," added the Russian president. "If so, if the realization has set in, they have to think what to do next. We are ready for this dialogue," he assured. Putin, who spoke in Russian, dubbed his remarks into English.
Putin also claimed that it was possible to reach an agreement for the release of American Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in Russia for almost a year. "I believe an agreement can be reached," he said. "There is no taboo to settle this issue. We are willing to solve it, but there are certain terms being discussed via special services channels."
'No interests in Poland, Latvia or elsewhere'
Asked by Carlson, a close associate of former US president Donald Trump, if he could imagine a scenario in which you send Russian troops to Poland, Putin replied, "Only in one case, if Poland attacks Russia." "Why? Because we have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else. Why would we do that? We simply don't have any interest. It's out of the question," he added.
The Russian president also asserted that the election of a new US president, scheduled for November 5 and expected to pit Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Joe Biden, would not change relations between the US and Russia.
"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," said Putin.
Trump boasted, without elaboration, that he could resolve the war in Ukraine in 24 hours if re-elected. President Biden, on the other hand, has called his Russian counterpart a war criminal and is unwavering in his support for Kyiv.
Russian state media covered presenter Carlson's visit extensively, publishing photos of him at the airport and the famous Bolshoi Theater. According to the news website Semafor, he also met the American-Russian computer scientist and whistleblower Edward Snowden during his stay in Moscow.