(ConservativeJournal.org) – On February 8, Tucker Carlson, former host for Fox News, conducted a two-hour interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was Putin’s first recorded interaction with a Western journalist since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The interview generated a lot of controversy in the West, particularly regarding Putin’s long rant about the history of Ukraine and Russia. Some statements, such as blaming Poland for World War II, stirred outrage.
The interview did contain some potential hints that Putin would be open to peace talks if the war could end on his own terms.
Putin claimed in the interview he was tricked many times by the west, including being told NATO would not expand when it did, and being told Russia might be able to join NATO, and then being told it couldn’t.
Towards the interview’s conclusion, Putin mentioned the March 2022 Istanbul talks, asserting that the troop withdrawal around Kyiv during the beginning of the invasion was a move made to begin negotiations for peace. He claimed the Ukrainians denied being open to peace talks under British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s influence.
While the intentional withdrawal claim is flimsy at best, given stretched Russian forces and losses, his reccurring theme in the interview is that he is constantly tricked and deceived by the west. Putin’s apparent endgame involves securing an agreement similar to the one allegedly proposed in Istanbul, encompassing all territories occupied and formally annexed by Russia. The implied threat suggests Ukraine may lose more territory and lives if the demands are not met.
Current circumstances appear unfavorable for Kyiv, with Russian troop advances, and US military aid to Ukraine jeopardized amid Republican resistance. Returning to the Istanbul framework would show a clear defeat for Ukraine and its supporters, regardless of attempts to spin it as a victory.
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