‘No defeat for Russia’
EMPHATIC: PUTIN EMPHASISES HE WILL NOT LOSE WAR IN UKRAINE
Kremlin leader tells Western nations it will be ‘impossible’ for him to be beaten.
President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released on Thursday with controversial right-wing US talkshow host Tucker Carlson that the West should understand it is “impossible” to defeat Russia in Ukraine.
In a two-hour interview with the former Fox News host – coming ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine – Putin also said a deal “can be reached” on imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
“There are certain terms being discussed via special services channels,” he said, while insisting that the reporter is a spy – something the newspaper and US government vehemently deny.
It was the first one-on-one Putin interview by someone from the Western media since 2019.
But Carlson, who is close to former president Donald Trump, asked few tough questions and largely listened while Putin lectured him on his views of Russian history, portraying the country as a victim of Western betrayals.
Putin defended his decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
He said the West now realises that Russia will not be defeated despite help to Ukraine by the US, European and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
“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 realise that it is difficult to achieve, if possible, at all. In my opinion, it is impossible by definition,” he said.
He also aimed a message at the US Congress where Trump-dominated Republicans are increasingly reluctant to keep backing Ukraine with weapons and 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 Nato countries in the region or 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,” he said.
A war with Poland would happen “only in one case: if Poland attacks Russia”, he said.
Asked about a possible change in leadership after the US election, where Joe Biden is expected to face-off against Trump in a rematch of their 2020 contest, Putin indicated that he would see little change. –