Putin: Istanbul Talks Were Like War Was Over

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a veiled reference to Western leaders, stated that defeating Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine is “impossible.” In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Putin addressed the possibility of attacking two countries.

During the interview in Moscow, Putin urged the US, EU, and NATO to understand that defeating Russia in its war with Ukraine is “impossible” for the West.

Putin remarked, “There has been noise and cries about strategically defeating Russia on the battlefield. But now, it seems they are beginning to understand that accomplishing this, if possible, is very difficult. In my opinion, it’s impossible.”

While justifying his actions in the war against Ukraine initiated in February 2022, Putin urged the Washington administration to “stop the war by stopping the supply of weapons.”

In the interview coinciding with the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Putin suggested that Russia and Ukraine would eventually reach an agreement, indicating that negotiation was still an option.

Referring to peace talks in Istanbul mediated by Turkey between Ukraine and Russia, Putin claimed that if decisions reached in Istanbul were implemented, the war might have already ended, but alleged that Western states, led by the US, discouraged Ukraine from doing so.

Expressing discomfort with NATO’s expansion efforts, Putin, during the more than two-hour-long interview, openly expressed his dissatisfaction with NATO’s expansion efforts since the early 1990s.

Dismissing the need for NATO expansion, Putin stated, “If NATO expands, everything will be the same as during the Cold War, just closer to Russia’s borders. That’s it.”

Putin criticized the US for not keeping its promise regarding NATO expansion, saying, “You promised that NATO wouldn’t expand eastward, but it happened five times.”

Addressing Carlson’s question about potential attacks on other NATO member countries like Poland and Latvia or a general invasion of Europe by Russia, Putin denied such possibilities.

Putin stated he had nothing to discuss with US President Joe Biden due to the US providing military support to Ukraine, and he believed that the election of a new president in November would not change the elite’s stance against Russia.

Regarding the release of detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, Putin expressed hope for reaching an agreement, mentioning ongoing discussions through private channels.

The announcement of Tucker Carlson, who continued his journalism on the social media platform X after leaving FOX News, interviewing Russian President Putin sparked media attention in the US. While Carlson’s interview received criticism in some European and American media for allegedly propagating Putin’s agenda, the American journalist was accused of promoting Putin’s propaganda.