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Two hours and seven minutes: that’s how long the probably most confusing TV interview of recent years lasted. Starring: Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin (71) and his American guest, former “Fox News” star and now independent television journalist Tucker Carlson (54).
In the first interview with a Western media representative since the outbreak of war, the Russian president provided deep insight. The Moscow warmonger’s factual monologue had little entertainment value. But five shocking findings remain.
1
Putin is a snitch
Boring! The Russian president’s erratic and confused history lesson deserves no other appreciation. His response to Carlson’s first question lasted all of 27 minutes, and in his later recorded introduction to the interview he appeared “shocked” by Putin’s ramblings. The Russian wants to provide ‘a bit of historical context’ and then talks about some rulers in the 9th century, about Kievan princes and old Moscow deals. Tucker bravely hangs on and tries to follow. But Putin continues talking undisturbed.
An attempt at euthanasia? Maybe. One would have expected more sensitivity to the attention span of his audience from the head of Russia’s supposedly crude propaganda force. Luckily you could watch the interview twice as fast.
But the confusing history lesson at the start of the conversation makes one thing clear: Putin’s war against Ukraine is not really about serious security interests. He doesn’t really feel threatened. He advocates – just as Adolf Hitler once did – for historical-nationalist reasons a ‘reunification’ of everything that never really belonged together.
2
Putin believes Bill Clinton is to blame for everything
No joke: After exactly 31 minutes, Putin brings the former democratic American president into play, claiming that it was he who stopped the planned rapprochement between Russia and NATO. Russia was interested in NATO membership at the beginning of the millennium. “We could have taken a common path,” Putin said. But Clinton made it clear to him that there was no room for that.
The West would have been even more likely to reject Russian advances. For example, when Russia, together with the Americans and Europe, pushed for a joint missile defense system. “The West didn’t want that. Now we are ahead of everyone in the development of long-range hypersonic missiles,” Putin threatened.
Of course, the old story of NATO “expanding” to Russia’s borders could not be left out here. Of course, Putin ignores the fact that NATO is not a vast structure, but that there are sovereign nation states that want to join the alliance of their own free will.
3
The war will last a long time
“We will fight to the end,” Putin said, referring to the raging fighting in Ukraine. The negotiations failed. And as long as America and other Western countries continue to supply Ukraine with weapons, the “special military operation” (Putin sticks to this euphemism) will continue. Putin said his country was fundamentally ready to negotiate. And he is sure that the Ukrainian government will soon be forced to negotiate after further mass mobilizations and as a result of the worsening political crisis in the country. There could be no other ending. “Russia cannot be defeated strategically on the battlefield.”
As is well known, Zelenskiy and his government see things differently. The Ukrainian president has categorically ruled out negotiations with Russia. The end of the war is not yet in sight.
4
Tucker Carlson’s act of sabotage didn’t work
The American TV star is a courageous man. Going to Moscow now and confronting Putin is not easy. And for a long time, Carlson seemed genuinely trying to coax a few promises out of the chattering Putin.
But in between, conspiracy theorist Carlson’s ugly intentions became apparent. For example, when he tried to blame Kamala Harris for the war in Ukraine with a leading question. Carlson wanted to know if it wasn’t the US vice president who issued the “decisive provocation” to the war with her NATO membership pledge to Zelenskiy about two years ago. Putin ignored the question.
Just like the one about the ‘real centers of power’ in the US, which Carlson suspects are not in the White House, but in the conspiratorial ‘deep state’ (i.e. the opaque civil service). Putin waved his hand and simply claimed that he himself did not really understand the complicated American system.
Carlson didn’t get the sound bites he was hoping for during his shows.
5
Evan Gershkovich is far from being released
The 33-year-old journalist, who reported from Russia for the ‘Wall Street Journal’ and was arrested in Moscow in early 2023 for alleged espionage, must be patient. Towards the end of the interview, Carlson – you should tell him – kept asking whether Putin would be willing to release the reporter, who was clearly imprisoned on trumped-up charges, and send him, Carlson, back to the US.
Putin made it very clear that he would only consider this if Germany released the Russian spy Vadim Krassikov, who became known as the Tiergarten killer. He murdered a Chechen in Berlin’s city park in 2019 and was sentenced to life imprisonment by a German court. Germany will not release him. And Gershkovich will continue to suffer.
But Carlson tried – with repeated questions. If he initiates a trial and at the end of it the innocent American journalist is released, then the whole confusing two hours and seven minutes will have been worth it.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
