Here we go it is. Tucker Carlson Interviewing Vladimir Putin Boy he got a lot of flack for this Personally, just as neutral from a POV as possible. I'm really excited to see what Putin has to say. Pretty excited about this.

I You know we haven't had this kind of coverage so let's take a peek at this and as expected, we are going to go through and comment on it. Let's get started. No, yall have sound. Oops sorry sorry my bad.

hold on one second. no sound. Okay I'll fix that one sec. Stand by, Stand by.

That's my bad. I screwed up. Oh, that's right. here we go.

This should work. What? No sound? Still? Are you serious? Uh, come on man. I never have problems with this. How I can't can't be right.

that had to have head sound. What is going on? Kiddos? hold on. Audio check Oh I figured it out. My bad.

sorry I figured it out. it was my fault. It was. It was Streamyard my setting on Streamyard.

Okay, oh my gosh, yeah. well. what are you going to do? Just take me a second here. Oh my.

Lord Wow. Stand by. this is, uh, quite annoying I don't know what's going on. You know what? it's It's somebody.

It's I think it's Hillary Clinton folks she's she's hacked my computer. Stand by. We're going to do it. We're going to pull it off.

This should work now. The following is an interview with the President of: Russia Vladimir Putin Shot February 6th 2024 to about 7:00 p.m. in the building behind us which is of course the Kremlin The interview as you will see if you watch it is primarily about the war in progress, the war in Ukraine, how it started, what's happening, and most prly how it might end. One note before you watch at the beginning of the interview, we asked the most obvious question which is why did you do this? Did you feel a threat? An imminent physical threat? Yeah, and that's your justification.

And the answer we got shocked us: Putin Went on for a very long time, probably half an hour about the history of Russia going back to the 8th century and honestly we thought this was a filibustering technique and found it annoying and interrupted him several times and he responded he was annoyed uh by the interruption. But we concluded in the end for what it's worth that it was not a filibustering technique. There was no time limit on the interview. we ended it after more than two hours.

Instead, what you're about to see seemed to us sincere whether you agree with it or not. Vladimir Putin Believed beles that Russia has a historic claim to parts of Western Ukraine so our opinion would be to view it in that light as a sincere expression of what he thinks. And with that here it is: Mr President Thank you. On February 22nd, 2022, you addressed your country in a nationwide address when the conflict in Ukraine started and you said that you were acting because You! had come to the conclusion that the United States through NATO might initiate a quote surprise attack on our country.

And to American ear that sounds paranoid, tell us why you believe the United States might strike Russia out of the blue. How did you conclude that the it's not that America the United States was going to launch a surprise strike in Russia I didn't say that, Are we having a talk show or a serious conversation? Here's the quote: thank you. It's a formidable series. Your basic education is in history as far as I Understand yes so if you don't mind, I will take only 30 seconds or 1 minute to give you a short reference to history.

For giving you a little historical background, please, let's look where our relationship with Ukraine started from. Where did Ukraine come from? The Russian State started Gathering itself as a centralized statehood and it is considered to be the year of the establishment of the Russian state in 862 when the town's people of No invited a Varangian prince Ruri from Scandinavia to Rign in 1862, Russia celebrated the 1000th anniversary of its statehood and in no, there is a Memorial dedicated to the 1,000th anniversary of the country. In 882, Ruri's successor Prince OLG who was actually playing the role of regent at Ruri's young son because Ruri had died by that time came to K. He asked the two brothers, who apparently had once's been members of Ruri's squad.

So Russia began to develop with two centers of power Kev and Novaro. The next very significant date in the history of Russia was 988. This was the baptism of Russia when Prince Vladimir the great grandson of Ruri, baptized Russia and adopted Orthodoxy or Eastern Christianity. From this time, the centralized Russian state began to strengthen.

Why? Because of the single territory, integrated economic ties one and the same language. And after the baptism of Russia the same faith and Rule of the prince, the centralized Russian state began to take shape. Back in the Middle Ages Prince Yaroslav the Wise introduced the order of succession to a throne, but after he passed away, it became complicated for various reasons. The trone was passed not directly from father to eldest son, but from the prince who had passed away to his brother, then to his son in different lines.

All this led to the fragmentation and the end of Rose as a single state. Just a really quick note: 988 is when the baptism of Russia was so I. Just want you to know for context, this is going back over a thousand years. Okay, so just know where that is.

There was nothing special about it. The same was happening then in Europe, but the fragmented Russian state became an easy prey to the Empire created earlier by King Ishan his successors namely Batan, came to Rose plundered and ruined nearly all the cities. The southern part including Kiev by the way, and some other cities simply lost Independence. While Northern cities preserved some of their sovereignty, they had to pay tribute to The Horde.

But they managed to preserve some part of their sovereignty. and then a unified Russian state began to take shape. with its Center. In Moscow, the southern part of Russian lands including Kiev began to gradually gravitate towards another magnet.

The center that was emerging in Europe This was the Grand Duy of Lithuania. It was even called the Lithuanian Russian Duche. because Russians were a significant part of this population, they spoke the old Russian language and were Orthodox. But then there was a unification, the union of the Grand Duy of Lithuania and the kingdom of Poland.

A few years later, another Union was signed, but this time already in the religious fear. Quickly, the Mongol invasion of the Roose was in 1223, so we kind of jump forward. About 220 years there, some of the Orthodox priests became subordinate to the Pope. Thus, these lands became part of the Polish Lithuanian State.

During decades, the PS were engaged in polonization of this part of the population. They introduced their language there, tried to entrench the idea that this population was not exactly Russians that because they lived on the French, they were Ukrainians. Originally, the word Ukrainian meant that the person was living on the outskirts of the state along the fringes, or was engaged in a border patrol service. It didn't mean any particular ethnic group.

so the Poles were trying to in every possible way to poize this part of the Russian lands and actually treated it rather harshly. not to say cruy. All that led to the fact that this part of the Russian lands began to struggle for their rights. They wrote letters to Warsa demanding that their rights be observed and people be commissioned here, including to Kev I Beg your pardon.

Can you tell us what period I'm losing track of where in history we are the Polish oppression of Ukra it was in the 13th century. Yeah, we're at 1400s now. I will tell you what happened later and give the dates so that there is no confusion. And in 1654, even a bit earlier, the people who were in control of the authority over that part of the Russian lands waro.

I Repeat demanding that they send them to rulers of Russian origin and Orthodox faith. When Warsaw did not answer them and in fact rejected their demands, they turned to Moscow so that Moscow took them away. Pew Research group says that 94% % of Polish today see Russia as a threat. So worth noting that difference since he's talking about the 1400s so that you don't think that I'm inventing things, I'll give you these documents.

Well, I I It doesn't sound like you're inventing it I'm not sure why it's relevant to what happened two years ago, but still. these are documents from the archives. Copies: Here are the letters from Bdan Kitki, the man who then controlled the power in this part of the Russian lands that is now called Ukraine. He wrote to Warsaw demanding that their rights be upheld and after being refused, he began to write letters to Moscow asking to take them under the strong hand of the Moscow.

SAR. There are copies of these documents I will leave them for your good memory. There is a translation into Russian you can trans ated into English later. Russia would not agree to admit them straight away, assuming that the war with Poland would start.

Nevertheless, in 1654, the P Russian assembly of top clergy and land owners headed by the Sar, which was the representative body of the power of the old Russian State decided to include a part of the old Russian lands into Moscow Kingdom. As expected, the war with Poland began. It lasted 13 years and then in 1654, a truce was concluded and 32 years later I think a peace treaty with Poland which they called Eternal. Peace was signed and these lands the whole Left Bank of Neer including Kiev went to Russia and the whole right Bank of Nipper remained in Poland under the rule of Katherina the great Russia reclaimed all of its historical lands including in the South and West.

This all lasted until the revolution before World War I Austrian General staff relied on the ideas of Ukrainian isation and started actively promoting the ideas of Ukraine and the Ukrainization. Their motive was obvious just before World War I. They wanted to weaken the potential enemy and secure themselves favorable conditions in the Border area. So the idea which had emerged in Poland that people residing in that territory were allegedly not really Russians, but rather belonged to a special ethnic group Ukrainians started being propagated by the Austrian General Staff.

As far back as the 19th century theorists calling for Ukrainian Independence appeared. All those however, claimed that Ukraine should have a very good relationship with Russia. They insisted on that. After the 1917 Revolution, the Bolsheviks sought to restore the statehood and the Civil War began, including the hostilities with Poland.

In 1921, peace with Poland was proclaimed and under that treaty, the right Bank of Nipper River once again was given back to Poland. I'm going to Super quickly show you a map just so you can really see it. I Think it's going to be really helpful for you Poland Right here. I Mean you could just see this is just Apple Maps Right here.

here's Poland There's Warsaw We heard that mentioned capital of Uh Poland. Okay here the Denero is the lower portion of Kev here. Okay, then you have the Denero low lens on the right and then the disputed territories that are right here. like for example, Denes, right? This is where you have a lot of fighting and then of course you have Cria Crimea Sevesta pool just to help you get a picture of this.

I Think that's very critical to understand this. Okay, here we go. In 1939, after Poland cooperated with Hitler, it did collaborate with Hitler you know Hitler offered Poland peace and a treaty of friendship, an alliance demanding in return that Poland gave back to Germany the so-called Daning cardor which connected the bulk of Germany with East Prussia and after World War I this territory was transferred to Poland and instead of Danzig a city of Dun emerged. Hitler Asked them to give it amicably, but they refused of course.

Still, they collaborated with Hitler and engaged together in the partitioning of Czechoslovakia May ask you, you're making the case that that Ukraine Certainly parts of Ukraine eastern Ukraine is in effect. Russia has been for hundreds of years. Why wouldn't you just take it? When you became president 24 years ago, you have nuclear weapons. They don't.

If it's actually your land, why did you wait so long? Sure, I'll tell you. I'm coming to that. This briefing is coming to an end. It might be boring, but it explains many things.

Just don't know how it's relevant. I'm so gratified that you appreciate that. Thank you! So before World War II Poland collaborated with Hitler and although it did not yield to Hitler's demands, it still participated in the partitioning of Czechoslovakia together with Hitler as the polls had not given the down Corridor to Germany had went too far pushing Hitler to start World War II by attacking them. Why was it Poland against whom the war started on 1st September 1939 Poland turned out to be uncompromising and Hitler had nothing to do but starting implementing his plans with Poland.

By the way, the USSR I have read some archived documents behaved very honestly. It asked Poland's permission to Transit its troops through the Polish territory to help CH Czechoslovakia. but the then Polish Foreign Minister said that if the Soviet plans flew over Poland, they would be downed over the territory of Poland. But that doesn't matter.

What matters is that the War, Began and Poland felt prey to the policies it had pursued against Czechoslovakia is under the well-known Molotto Ribbon Trop Pact. Part of the territory including Western Ukraine was to be given to Russia. Thus, Russia, which was then named as USSR regained its historical lands after the victory in the Great Patriotic War as we call World Wari to all those territories were ultimately enshrined as belonging to Russia to the Ussr. As for Poland, it received apparently in compensation the lands which had originally being German the Eastern parts of Germany These are now Western lands of Poland.

Of course, Poland regained access to the Baltic Sea and Danzik, which was once again given its Polish name. So this was how this situation developed. Really worth noting: Massive animosity even in Germany still exists today between people who live in Western Germany and Eastern Germany I was born in Germany and I saw that my entire life. it still exists today.

And there's also that animosity between Germans and Poles some you know, not not newer. Generations. Now, in 1922, when the USSR was being established, the Bik started building the USSR and established the Soviet Ukraine, which had never existed before, right? Stalin Insisted that those republics be included in the USSR as autonomous entities for some inexplicable reason. Lenin The founder of the Soviet state insisted that they be entitled to withdraw from the USSR and again, for some unknown reasons, he transferred to that newly established Soviet Republic of Ukraine some of the lands together with people living there even though those lands had never been called Ukraine and yet they were made part of that Soviet Republic of Ukraine.

Those lands included the Black Sea region, which was received under Catherina the Great, and which had no historical connection with Ukraine whatsoever. Even if we go as far back as 1654, when these lands returned to Russian Empire. that territory was the size of three to four regions of modern Ukraine with no Black Sea region that was completely out of the question in 1654, exactly. I'm just.

you obviously have encyclopedic knowledge of this region, but why didn't you make this case for the first 22 years as president that Ukraine wasn't a real country quickly? I I Don't think that Putin is saying that I think Putin is saying that Putin thinks Lenin made a mistake granting autonomy to the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks were considered a group of individuals that had uh, strong aspirations of being autonomously governed. having Independence uh and and that there would is an idea that Ukraine would be better independent. That is the opinion of Lenin.

It appears that Putin disagrees with that opinion, but let's see, the Soviet Union was given a great deal of territory that had never belonged to it, including the Black Sea region. At some point when Russia received them as an outcome of the Russo Turkish Wars, they were called new Russia or navaria. But that does not matter. What matters is that Lenin the founder of the Soviet state established Ukraine.

That way, for decades, the Ukrainian Soviet Republic developed as part of the USSR and for unknown reasons again, the Bolsheviks were engaged in Ukrainian isation. It was not merely because the Soviet leadership was composed to a great extent of those originating from Ukraine. Rather, it was explained by the general policy of indigenization pursued by the Soviet Union. Same things were done in other Soviet republics.

This involved promoting national languages and National cultures, which is not bad in principle. That is how the Soviet Ukraine was created after the World War I Ukraine received in addition to the lands that had belonged to Poland before the war, part of the lands that had previously belonged to Hungary and Romania. So Romania and Hungary had some of their lands taken away and given to the Soviet Ukraine and they still remain part of Ukraine. So in this sense, we have every reason to affirm that Ukraine is an artificial state that was shaped at Stalin's will.

Do you believe Hungary has a right to take its land back from Ukraine and that other nations have a right to go back to their 1654 borders? I'm not sure, but they should go back to the 1654 borders. but given Stalin's time, so-called Stalin's regime, which as many claim, saw numerous violations of human rights and violations of the rights of other states, one may say that they could claim back those LS of theirs while having no right to do that. It is at least understandable. Have you told Victor Orban that he can have part of Ukraine? Never.

I have never told him. not a single time. we have not even had any conversation on that. But I actually know for sure that Hungarians who live there wanted to get back their historical land.

Moreover, I would like to share a very interesting story with you. I Digress: it's a personal one. Somewhere in the early 80s I went on a road trip in a car from then Leningrad across the Soviet Union through Kiev made a stop in Kiev and then went to Western Ukraine I went to the town of Bavo and all the names of towns and Villages there were in Russian and in the language I did not understand in Hungarian in Russian and in Hungarian not in Ukrainian in Russian and in Hungarian I was driving through some kind of village and there were men sitting next to the houses and they were wearing black three piece suits and black cylinder hats. I asked are they some kind of entertainers I was told no, they were not entertainers, they're Hungarians I said what are they doing here What do you mean this is their land, They live here.

This was during the Soviet time. in the 1980s, they preserved the Hungarian language, Hungarian names and all their National costumes. Keep in mind Hungarians are the third largest minority group in Ukraine Well, at least pre the war they are Hungarians and they feel themselves to be Hungarians. And of course, when now there is an infringement.

Well, that that is and there's a lot of that though. I Think many nations are upset about Transylvania as well as you obviously know, but many nations feel frustrated by the redrawn borders of the wars of the 20th century and Wars going back A Thousand Years the ones that you mentioned. But the fact is that you didn't make this case in public until two years ago. February and in the case that you made which I read today just you.

you explain at Great length that you felt a physical threat from the West in NATO including potentially nule threat and that's what got you to move. Is that a fair? Char Tucker has been trying to get to this point for like 30 minutes now he's been trying to get to Were you afraid of the US Why did you invade? So far it's been a 30-minute history lesson and In Fairness Tucker did give us a heads up. We were going to sit through 30 minutes of History let's see what happens terization of what you said. Yep, but you I understand that my long speeches probably fall outside of the genre of the interview.

That is why I asked you at the beginning. Are we going to have a serious talk or a show? You said a serious talk. So bear with me please. We're coming to the point where the Soviet Ukraine was established.

Then, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed and everything that Russia had generously bestowed on UK Ukine was dragged Away by the ladder. I'm coming to a very important point of today's agenda. Thank you! After all, the collapse of the Soviet Union was effectively initiated by the Russian leadership. I Do not understand what the Russian leadership was Guided by at the time, but I suspect there were several reasons to think everything would be fine.

first: I Think that then Russian leadership believed that the fundamentals of the relationship between Russia and Ukraine were in fact a Common Language More than 90% of the population there spoke Russian family size. Every third person there had some kind of family or friendship, common culture, common history, Finally, common. Faith coexist with a single state for centuries and deeply interconnected economies. All of these were so fundamental.

All these elements together make our good relationships inevitable. The second point is a very important one: I want you as an American citizen and your viewers to hear about this as well. The former Russian leadership assumed that the Soviet Union had ceased to exist, and therefore there were no longer any ideological dividing lines. Russia even agreed voluntarily and proactively to the collapse of the Soviet Union and believed that this would be understood by the socalled Civilized West as an invitation for cooperation.

and Association that is what Russia was expecting, both from the United States and the so-called Collective West as a whole. There were smart people, including in Germany Eon bar, a major politician of the Social Democratic party who insisted in his personal conversations with the Soviet leadership on the brink of the collapse of the Soviet Union that a new security system should be established in Europe help should be given to unify Germany, but a new system should be also established to include the United States Canada Russia and other central European countries. Yes, but NATO needs not to expand. That's what he said.

If NATO expands, everything would be just the same as during the Cold War only closer to Russia's borders. That's all. He was a wise old man, but no one listened to him. In fact, he got angry once if he said, you don't listen to me I'm never setting my foot in Moscow.

Once again, everything happened just as he had said. Well, it of course it did come true. And I and you've mentioned this many times: I think it's a fair point and many in America thought that relations between Russia and the United States would be fine with the collapse of the Soviet Union the end of the Cold War that the opposite happened. But you've never explained why you think that happened, except to say that the West fears a strong Russia.

but we have a strong China. The West does not seem very afraid of. This is going to be interesting because I think this is Tucker or sorry. This is Putin's opportunity to really distance himself, which he's already been setting up from the prior leadership in Russia.

Be clear, he talks about the former Russian leadership being gone. We were open to cooperation. We generously gave land to Ukraine and the leadership sucked. Lenin screwed up.

Look at how Putin is really separating himself from the history of Russia. Uh, this is really interesting. So I want to see where this is? Go? this goes. But if you're not caught up on that, think about that.

I'm posting this all live blog on Ec.com By the way. Uh, what about Russia Do you think convinced policy makers they had to take it down? There was is afraid of strong China more than it fears a strong Russia because Russia has 150 million people and China has 1.5 billion population and its economy is growing by Leaps and Bounds or 5% a year. It used to be even more, but that's enough for China. As Bismar once put it, potentials are the most important.

China's potential is enormous. It is the biggest economy in the world today in terms of purchasing power, parity, and the size of the economy. It has already overtaken the United States quite a long time ago and it is growing at a rapid clip. Let's not talk about who is afraid of whom.

Okay, let's be clear: China's growth rate may be exceeding the United States economy, but the United States economy is larger than China. That's not reason in such terms. And let's get into the fact that after 1991, when Russia expected that it would be welcomed into the brotherly family of civilized Nations nothing like this happened. You trick this.

I don't mean you personally when I say you of course I'm talking about the United States. The promise was that NATO would not expand Eastward But it happened five times. There were five waves of expansion. We tolerated all that we were trying to persuade them.

We were saying please don't We are as Bouro now as you are. We are market economy and there is no Communist Party power, let's negotiate Moreover, I Have also said this publicly before. There was a moment when a certain Rift started growing between us. Before that, Yilson came to the United States.

Remember, he spoke in Congress and said the good words: God Bless America Everything he said were signals let us in remember the developments in Yugoslavia before the Elim was lavished with praise. As soon as the developments in Yugoslavia started, he raised his voice in support of Serbs and we couldn't but raise our voices for Serbs in their defense: I Understand that there were complex processes under way there I do. but Russia could not help raising its voice in support of Serbs because Serbs are also a special and close to us nation with Orthodox culture and so on. It's a nation that has suffered so much for Generations.

Well, regardless, what is important is that Yelon expressed his support. What did the United States do in violation of an international law and the UN Charter it started bombing Belgrade It was the United States that led the genie out of the bottle. Moreover, when Russia protested and expressed its resentment, what was said: the UN Charter and international law have become obsolete. Now everyone invokes international law.

But at that time they started saying that everything was outdated. Everything had to be changed. Indeed, some things need to be changed as the balance of power has changed. It's true, but not in this manner.

Hon was immediately draged through the mud, accused of alcoholism of understanding nothing of knowing nothing, he understood everything I assure you. Well, I became president in 2000 I thought okay, the Yugoslav issue is over, but we should try to restore relations. Let's reopen the door that Russia had tried to go through. and moreover, I said it publicly I Can reiterate at a meeting here in the Kremlin with the outgoing President Bill Clinton right here in the next room I said to him I asked him Bill do you think if Russia asked to join NATO do you think it would happen suddenly he said you know it's interesting I think so but in the evening when we met for dinner, he said you know I've talked to my team no no, it's not possible Now you can ask him I think he will watch our interview.

he'll confirm it I wouldn't have said anything like that if it hadn't happened. Okay, were you sincere impossible? Now would you have joined? NATO Look I asked the question is it possible or not and the answer I got was no If I wasn't sincere in my desire to find out what the leadership position was, but if he had said yes, would you have joined NATO If he had said yes, the process of reproach me would have commenced and eventually it might have happened if we had seen some sincere wish on the other side of our partners. But it didn't happen. Well, no means no.

Okay, fine. Why do you think that is just to get to motive I Know you're clearly bitter about it. Um, I understand. But why do you think the West rebuffed you? then? Why the hostility? Why did the end of the Cold War not fix the relationship? What motivates this From your point of view, you said I was bitter about the answer.

No, it's not bitterness, it's just a statement of fact. We're not bright and groom bitterness, resentment. It's not about those kind of matters. In such circumstances, we just realized we weren't welcome there.

That's all. Okay, fine, but let's build relations in another manner. let's work for common ground elsewhere. Why we receive such a Negative response.

You should ask your leaders I can only guess why. Too big a country with its own opinion and so on. And the United States I've seen how issues are being resolved in NATO I will give you another example. Now concerning Ukraine.

The US leadership exerts pressure and all NATO members obediently vote even if they do not like something. Now I'll tell you what happened in disregard with Ukraine in 2008. although it's being discussed, I'm not going to open a secret to you say anything new. Nevertheless, after that, we try to build relations in different ways.

For example, the events in the Middle East In Iraq, we were building relations with the United States in a very soft, prudent, cautious manner. I repeatedly raised the issue that the United States should not support separatism or terrorism in the North Caucasus but they continue to do it anyway and political support information, support financial support even Military Support came from the United States and its satellites for terrorist groups in the Caucasus I Once raised this issue with my colleague also the president of the United States he says it's impossible Do you have proof I said yes I was prepared for this conversation and I gave him that proof. He looked at it and you know what he said I apologize but that's what happened I'll quote he says well, I'm going to kick their ass We waited and waited for some response. There was no reply I said to the FSB director right to the CIA what is the result of the conversation with President He wrote once twice and then we got a reply.

We have the answer in the archive. The CIA replied we have been working with the opposition in Russia We believe that this is the right thing to do and we will keep on doing it. Just ridiculous. Well, that's a very interesting and big allegation here.

Keep in mind what he just said. He just suggested that the CIA responded to the Intelligence Agency of Russia and said hey, sorry, You know we don't agree with what y'all are doing in Russia. So we're supporting your opposition and Putin is arguing hey, the US shouldn't be supporting and choosing separatist groups here like we. We are a free market economy, we should be negotiating.

Keep in mind, obviously this is Putin's POV Okay, we realized that it was out of the question forces in opposition to you. So you're saying the CIA is trying to overthrow your government. Of course they meant in that particular case, the separatists, the terrorists who fought with us in the Caucasus. That's who they called the opposition.

This is the second point. The third moment is a very important one is the moment when the US missile defense system was created. the beginning. We persuaded for a long time not to do it in United States.

Moreover, after was invited by Bush Junior's Father Bush senior to visit his place on the ocean. I had a very serious conversation with President Bush and his team. I proposed that the United, States, Russia and Europe jointly create a missile defense system that we believe if created unilaterally threatens our security despite the fact that the United States officially said that it was being created against missile threats from Iran. That was the justification for the deployment of the missile defense system.

I suggested working together Russia the United, States and Europe. They said it was very interesting. they asked me are you serious I said absolutely ask what year was this I don't remember. It is easy to find out on the internet when I was in the USA at the invitation of oh I I can tell you it was August of 2007 Putin did negotiate with Bush on a missile defense shield and Bush according to Reuters actually called this very Innovative that's where relations were in 2007 between George W bush and Putin Worth keeping that in mind Putin's not not wrong about this part that he's talking about.

It is even easier to learn from someone I'm going to tell you about I was told it was very interesting I said just imagine if we could tackle such a global strategic security challenge together, the world will change. We'll probably have disputes, probably economic and even political ones, but we could drastically change the situation in the world. He says yes and asks are you serious I said of course we need to think about it I'm told I said go ahead please then Secretary of Defense Gates former director of CIA and Secretary of State rice came in here in this cabinet right here at this table they sat on this table, me, the foreign minister, the Russian defense minister on that side they said to me yes we have thought about it we agree I said Thank God great but with some exceptions. So twice you've described US presidents making decisions and then being undercut by their agency heads.

So it sounds like you're describing a system that's not run by the people who are elected In your telling. That's right, that's right. In the end, they just stole us to get lost. I'm not going to tell you the details because I think it's incorrect after all.

it was confidential conversation, but our proposal was decline. That's a fact it was right then when I said look but then we will be forced to take countermeasures. We will create such strike systems that will certainly overcome missile defense systems. The answer was, we are not doing this against you and you do what you want assuming that it is not against us, not against the United States I said okay.

very well. That's the way it went. and we created Hypersonic systems with InterContinental range and we continue to develop them. We are now ahead of everyone, the United States and the other countries in terms of the development of hypersonic strike systems and we are improving them every day.

But it wasn't us. We proposed to go the other way and we were pushed back. Now about NATO's expansion to the east? Well, we were promised no, NATO to the east, not an inch to the east as we were told. And then what they said, well, it's not enshrined on paper so we'll expand.

So there were five waves of expansion. The Baltic states the whole of Eastern Europe and so on. And now I come to the main thing they have come to do: Ukraine. Ultimately, in 2008, at The Summit in Buchar, they declared that the doors for Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO were open.

Now about how decisions are made there, Germany France seemed to be against it as well as some other European countries. But then as it turned out later, President Bush and he's such a tough guy. a tough politician. as I was told later, he exerted pressure on us and we had to agree.

It's ridiculous. It's like kindergarten. Where where are the guarantees? What kindergarten is this? What kind of people are these? Who are they? You see they were pressed, they agreed, and then they say Ukraine won't be in the NATO you know I say I don't know I know you agreed in 2008. why won't you agree in the future? Well, they pressed us.

then I say why won't they press you tomorrow and you'll agree again. Well, it's nonsense. Who's there to talk to I just don't understand. We're ready to talk.

but with who, where are the guarantees? none. So they started to develop the territory of Ukraine. Whatever is there I have told you the background how this territory developed, what kind of relations they were with Russia Every second or third person there has always had some ties with Russia and during the elections in already independent sovereign Ukraine which gained its independence as a result of the Declaration of Independence. And by the way it says that Ukraine is a neutral State and in 2008 suddenly the doors or gates to Nato were opened to it.

Oh come on, this is not how we agreed. Now all the Presidents that have come to power in Ukraine, they relied on electorate with a good attitude to Russia in one way or the other. This is the southeast of Ukraine. This is a large number of people and it was very difficult to toade this electorate which had a positive attitude towards Russia.

Victor Yanukovich came to power and how the first time he won up to President Kuchma, they organized the third round which is not provided for in the constitution of Ukraine. This is a Cud. Just imagine someone in the United States wouldn't like the outcome in 2014. Before that no, this was before that after President Kuchma Victor Yanukovich won the elections.

However, his opponents did not recognize that Victory the US supported the opposition and the third round was scheduled. What is this? Okay, quick, quick catch up because you might be a little confused by some of this. Putin's kind of bouncing around a little bit. really quick.

2008. This is after George, Bush and Putin we're talking missile deal. Okay 2008 Kosovo declares independence from Serbia, Serbia and Russia are like Hey. We're cool and the US is like, well, we're going to side with Kosovo and Russia's like yo, what the hell and then at a NATO Summit in Bucharest NATO.

Essentially, with the United States supports giving Ukraine and Georgia a membership action plan to joining NATO. Uh, and that's what Putin is referring to. So if you're C confused by that, that gives you a little bit of more color and catchup. Remember earlier, he suggested that NATO feels like it's just sort of a puppet of the United States and it does whatever the United States wants.

Okay, let's keep going Full summary so far, ec.com this is a the US supported it and the winner of the third round came to power. Imagine if in the US something was not to someone's liking. and the third round of election, which the US Constitution does not provide for was organized. Nonetheless, it was done in Ukraine.

Okay, Victor Yenko who was considered a pro-western politician came to power fine. We have built relations with him as well. He came to Moscow with visits we visited Kia I visited Sue We met in an informal setting. If he's Pro Western, so be it, it's fine, let people do their job.

The situation should have developed inside independent Ukraine itself. As a result of Kma's leadership, things got worse and Victor Yanukovich came to power after all. maybe he wasn't the best president and politician. I don't know.

I don't want to give assessments. However, the issue of the association with the EU came up. We have always been lenient to this suit yourself, But when we read through the Treaty of Association, it turned out to be a problem for us. since we had a free trade zone and open Customs borders with Ukraine which under this Association had to open its borders for Europe which could have led to flooding of our Market.

We said no, this is not going to work, we shall close our borders with Ukraine Then the Customs borders that is Yanukovich started to calculate how much Ukraine was going to gain, how much to lose and said to his European Partners I need more time to think before signing. The moment he said that the opposition began to take destructive steps which were supported by the West. It all came down to myON and a coup in Ukraine. So he did more trade with Russia than with the EU Ukraine did.

Of course it's not even the matter of trade volume, although for the most part it is it is the matter of cooperation size which the entire Ukrainian economy was based on. The cooperation size between the Enterprises were very close. Since the times of the Soviet Union One Enterprise there used to produce components to be assembled both in Russia and Ukraine and vice versa. They used to be very close ties.

AUD was committed. Although I shall not delve into details now as I find doing it inappropriate, the US told us calm Yanukovich down and we will calm the opposition. Let the situation unfold in the scenario of a political settlement. We said all right.

Agreed, let's do it this way as the Americans requested. Yanukovich did use neither the Armed Forces nor the police. yet the armed opposition committed a coup in Kev. What is that supposed to mean who? Do You Think You Are I Wanted to ask the then Us leadership with the backing of whom with the backing of CIA of course the organization you wanted to join back in the day as I understand we should thank God they didn't let you in although it is a serious organization I Understand my former Viav in the sense that I served in the first Main directorate Tu ER didn't like that call out okay it like there if if you Google this you know apparently Tucker Carlson tried to join the CIA but his application was denied and then he went into journalism Tucker did not like that at all.

Soviet Union's intelligence service. They have always been our opponents. a job is a job. Technically they did everything right.

They achieved their goal of changing the government government. However, from political standpoint, it was a colossal mistake. Surely it was political leadership's miscalculation. They should have seen what it would evolve into.

So in 2008, the doors of NATO were open for Ukraine. In 2014, there was a coup. They started persecuting those who did not accept the coup and it was indeed the Cou. They created the threat to crimeia which we had to take under our protection.

They launched the war in Dbas in 2014 with the use of aircraft and artillery against civilians. This is when it all started. There is a video of aircraft attacking Donets from above. They launched a large scale military operation, then another one.

When they failed, they started to prepare the next one. All this against the background of military development of this territory and opening of NATO's doors. How could we not express concern over what was happening from our side? This would have been a culpable negligence. That's what it would have been.

It's just that the US political leadership pushed us to the line we could not cross because doing so could have ruined Russia itself. Besides, we could not leave our brothers in faith. In fact, a part of Russian people in the face of this war machine. What was the so? But that was eight years before the current conflict started.

So what was the trigger for you? What was the moment where you decided you had to do this. Initially, it was the coup in Ukraine that provoked the conflict. By the way. back then the representatives of three European countries Germany, Poland and France arrived.

They were the guarantors of the signed agreement between the government of Yanukovich and the opposition. They signed it as guarantors despite keep in mind for a second what Putin just said. He just said. that they took Crimea to protect Crimea Now Russian forces did occupy Crimea in 2014 to quell protests.

During that time, the Republic of Crimea was formed that declared independence from Ukraine which was undergoing its coup and then Russia annexed the new Republic of Crimea. A little bit of background that the opposition committed the coup and all these countries pretended that they didn't remember that they were guarantors of the peaceful settlement. They just threw it in the Stow right away and nobody recalls that. I Don't know if the US does know anything about the agreement between the opposition and the authorities.

and it's three guarantors who instead of bringing this whole situation back in the political field, supported the coup. Although it was meaningless, believe me, because President Yanukovich agreed to all conditions, he was ready to hold an early election, which he had no chance of winningly. speaking, everyone knew that then, why the coup? Why the victims? Why threatening Crimea Why launching an operation in Donbas? This I do not understand. That is exactly what the miscalculation is.

Cia did its job to complete the coup. I Think one of the Deputy secretaries of State said that it cost a large sum of money almost 5 billion. but the political mistake was colossal. Why would they have to do that? All this could have being done legally without victims without military action without losing Crimea We would have never considered to even lift a finger if it hadn't been for the bloody developments on Maidan, because we agreed with the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union our border should be along the borders of former unions republics.

We agreed to that, but we never agreed to NATO's expansion and moreover, we never agreed that Ukraine would be in NATO. We did not agree to Nato bases there without any discussion with us. For decades we kept asking don't Do this, Don't Do that and what triggered the latest events. Firstly, the current Ukrainian leadership declared that it would not implement the Minsk agreements which had been signed.

As you know, after the events of 2014 Min where the plan of peaceful settlement in Donbas was set forth. But now the current Ukrainian leadership, foreign minister, all other officials, and then President himself said that they don't like anything about the Minsk agreements. In other words, they were not going to implement it. A year or a year and a half ago, former leaders of Germany and France said openly to the whole world world that they indeed signed the Minsk agreements, but they never intended to implement them.

They simply let us by the nose. Was there anyone free to talk to? Did you call a US President Secretary of State and say if you keep militarizing Ukraine with NATO forces this is going to get this is going to be a we're going to act We talked about this all the time. We addressed the United, States and European countries leadership to stop these developments immediately to implement the Minsk agreements. Frankly Speaking I Didn't know how we were going to do this, but I was ready to implement them.

He quick quick note there that's a big line When he says I was ready to implement them, let's see how he continues here. But Ukraine is responded to the allegation of Putin saying hey, you're not applying the Minsk agreements Ukra has responded with hey, well Russia's not implementing it so you guys do it first and Putin did just say we were ready to implement it So it is kind of interesting. These agreements were complicated for Ukraine they included lots of elements of those Donbas territories. Independence That's true.

However, I was absolutely confident and I'm saying this to you now. I Honestly believe that if we managed to convince the residents of Donbas and we had to work hard convince them to return to the Ukrainian statehood, then gradually the wounds would start to heal when this part of territory reintegrated itself into common social environment. When the pensions and social benefits were paid again, all the pieces would gradually fall into place. No, nobody wanted that.

Everybody wanted to resolve the issue by military force only, but we could not let thaten happen. and the situation got to the point when the Ukrainian side announced no, we will not do anything They also started preparing for military action. It was they who started the war in 2014. Our goal is to stop this war and we did not start this war in 2022.

This is an attempt to stop it. Do you think you've stopped it now? I Mean have you achieved your aims? Uh, no, we haven't achieved our aims yet because one of them is the Nazification. This means the prohibition of all kinds of Neo-Nazi movements. This is one of the problems that we discussed during the negotiation process which ended in Istanbul early this year.

And it was not not our initiative because we were told by the Europeans in particular that it was necessary to create conditions for the final signing of the documents. My counterparts in France and Germany said, how can you imagine them signing a treaty with a gun to their heads the troop should be pulled back from Kiev I said all right, we withdrew the troops from K Ooh that's an interesting line. Okay, wait a minute, there is a very strong Ukrainian argument. Uh, that has been made and obviously think about your this yourself.

There's a strong Ukrainian argument made that with the support of us and European weapons, the Ukrainians repelled Russia out of Ukraine or out of Kev right? And Putin right now is saying we chose to leave. Kiev Interesting. As soon as we pulled back our troops from Kiev, our Ukrainian negotiators immediately through all our agreements reached in Istabul into the Ben and got prepared for a longstanding armed confrontation with the help of the United States and its satellites in Europe. That is how the situation has developed and that is how it looks now.

But what is? Pardon my what is densification. What would that mean? That is what I want to talk about right now. It is a very important issue. Denazification: After gaining independence, Ukraine began to search as some Western analysts say it's identity and it came up with nothing better than to build this identity upon some false Heroes who collap at with Hitler I Have already said that in the early 19th century, when the theorists of Independence and sovereignty of Ukraine appeared, they assumed that an independent Ukraine should have very good relations with Russia.

But due to the historical development, those territories were part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth Poland where Ukrainians were persecuted and treated quite brutally as well as were subject to cruel Behavior. There were also attempts to destroy their identity. All this remained in the memory of the people. when World War II broke out, part of this extremely nationalist Elite collaborated with Hitler believing that he would bring them Freedom the German troops.

Even the SS troops made Hitler's collaborators do the dirtiest work of Exterminating the Polish and Jewish population. Hence this brutal Massacre of the Polish and Jewish population as well as the Russian population too. this was led by the who are well known Bandera Shich it was those people who were made national heroes. That is the problem and we are constantly told that nationalism and neo-nazism exist in other countries as well.

Yes, they are seedlings but we approv them and other countries fight against them. but Ukraine is not the case. These people have been made International Heroes in Ukraine Monuments to those people have been Ed They are displayed on flags. their names are shouted by crowds that walk with torches as it was in Nazi Germany These were people who exterminated Bulls, Jews and Russians.

It is necessary to stop this practice and prevent the dissemination of this concept. I Say that Ukrainians are part of the one Russian People They say no, we are a separate people. Okay, fine. if they consider themselves a separate people, they have the right to do so, but not on the basis of Nazism the Nazi ideology.

Would you be satisfied with the territory that you have now I Will finish answering the question you just asked a question about neo-nazism and the nazification. Look, the President of Ukraine visited Canada This story is well known but being silenced in the Western countries. The Canadian Parliament introduced a man who as the speaker of the parliament said, fought against the Russians during the World War II. Well, who fought against the Russians during the World War II Hitler and his accomplices.

It turned out that this man served in the SS troops. He personally killed Russians bulls and Jews. The S troops consisted of Ukrainian nationalists who did this Dirty Work The president Ukraine stood up with the entire parliament of Canada and applauded this man. How can this be imagined? The President of Ukraine himself, by the way, is a Jew by nationality Really, my question is what do you do about it I mean Hitler's been dead for 80 years Nazi Germany no longer exists and so true And so I Think what you're saying is you want to extinguish or at least control Ukrainian Nationalism.

But how how do you do that? Listen to me. Your question is very subtle and I can tell you what I think, Do not take offense. Of course, this question appears to be subtle. It is quite pesky.

You say. Hitler has been dead for so many years 80 years. but his example lives on. People who exterminated Jews Russians and Poes are alive and the President, the current President of today's Ukraine applauds him in the Canadian.

Parliament gives a standing ovation. Can we say that we have completely uprooted this ideology? If what we see is happening today, that is what the nification is. In our understanding, we have to get rid of those people who maintain this concept and support this practice and try to preserve it. That is what the nification is.

That is what we mean, right? My question was a little more specific. ific. it was of course not a defense of Nazis New or otherwise, it was a practical question. You don't control the entire country, you don't control Kev You don't seem like you want to.

So how how do you eliminate a culture or an ideology or feelings or a view of history in a country that you don't control? What do you do about that? You know it's strange as it may seem to you during the negotiations in Istanbul We did agree that we have it all in writing. Neo-nazism would not be cultivated in Ukraine including that it would be prohibited at the legislative level. Mr Carson We agreed on that. This, it turns out, can be done during the negotiation process and there's nothing humiliating for Ukraine As a modern civilized state, is any state allowed to promote Nazism It is not.

Is it That is it? Um, will there be talks? And why haven't there been talks about resolving the conflict? In on talks, we're going to keep going in a moment. I Got to catch up a couple things. Okay, yes, Ukraine does have a history of collaborating with Hitler That is true. There are individuals who have statues historic Ukrainian individuals who had ties to Hitler who have statues still in Ukraine That is true about 56 to 140,000 Jews currently live in Ukraine That is true.

So far Putin has not answered the question about would you be satisfied with the territory you have now then Putin says hey, there are still proponents of Nazism today. Consider Zalinski giving a standing ovation to a Nazi in the Canadian Parliament. Okay, this is also true, but the purpose of that speech was for unification. Putin Saw that though as supporting Nazism this person Yaroslav Hunka was somebody who worked for the German.

that's the German SS And yes, people in Parliament did stand to clap for that person who fought for the Nazis I Think that's important detail? Let's keep going. Ukraine Peace talks they have been. They reached a very high stage of coordination of positions in a complex process. but still, they were almost finalized.

But after we withdrew our troops from Kiev as I have already said, the other side threw away all these agreements and obeyed the instructions of Western countries, European countries and the United States to fight Russia to The Bitter End. Moreover, the president y Ukraine has legislated a ban on negotiating with Russia. He signed a decree forbidding everyone to negotiate with Russia. But how are we going to negotiate if he forbade himself and everyone to do this? We know that he is putting forward some ideas about this settlement.

but in order to agree on something, we need to have a dialogue. Is that not right? Well, but you wouldn't be speaking to the Ukrainian president. You'd be speaking to the American president. When was the last time you spoke to Joe Biden I cannot remember when I talked to him I do not remember.

we can look it up. you don't remember no. Why do I have to remember everything I have my own things to do. we have domestic political Affairs Well, he's funding the war that you're fighting so I would think that would be memorable.

Well, yes he funds. but I talk to him before the special military operation of course and I said to him then by the way I will not go into details I never do. but I said to him then I believe that you are making a huge mistake of historic proportions by supporting everything that is happening there in Ukraine by pushing Russia away I told him, told him repeatedly by the way I think that would be correct if I stop here. What did he say? Ask him please.

it is easier for you, you are a citizen of the United States Go and ask him. It is not appropriate for me to comment on our conversation. but but but you haven't spoken to him since before February of 2022. No, we haven't spoken.

Certain contexts are being maintained though. Speaking of which, do you remember what I told you about my proposal to work together on a missile defense system that was with Bush? Yes, you can ask all of them. All of them are safe and sound. Thank God The former President Kiz is safe and sound and I think Mr Gates and the current Director of the Intelligence agency Mr Burns the then Ambassador to Russia in my opinion, a very successful Ambassador They were all witnesses to these conversations.

Ask them same here if you are interested in what Mr President Biden responded to me Ask him. At any rate I talk to him about it I'm I'm I'm definitely interested. but from the outside it seems like this could devolve or evolve into something that brings the entire world into conflict and could, um, initiate some a nuclear launch. And so why don't you just call Biden and say, let's work this out, What's there to work out? It's very simple.

I Repeat. We have contacts through various agencies 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. It will be over within a few weeks.

That's it. And then we can agree on some terms. Before you do that, stop What's easier. Why would I call him? What should I talk to him about or beg him for what and what messes you're going to deliver such and such weapons to Ukraine Oh I'm afraid.

I'm afraid please don't. What is there to talk about? Do you think NATO is worried about this becoming a global war or a nuclear Conflict At least that's what they're talking about and they're trying to intimidate their own population with an imaginary Russian threat. This is an obvious fact and thinking people, not Philistines But thinking people analysts. those who are engaged in real politics just smart people understand perfectly well that this is a fate they're trying to fuel the Russian threat.

The threat I think you're referring to is a Russian invasion of Poland Lvia expansionist. Well, not just that, but also the Whole World War III narrative that Russia has nukes and therefore we have to fight Russia to keep them weak. which is basically it's a proxy war against Russia right? We fund and Supply Ukrainians Ukrainian people give their lives to keep Russia essentially distracted or weak or crippled or whatever. and the idea is therefore Americans will be.

That's the idea, right? It's it's much more than just Poland. It's it's the West Behavior is. Can you imagine a scenario where you sent Russian troops to Poland 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 just treatm longing well.

The argument: I Know you know this is that. Well, he invaded Ukraine He has territorial aims across the continent and you're saying unequivocally you don't It is absolutely out of the question. You just don't have to be any kind of analyst. It goes against common sense to get involved in some kind of a global war.

And a global war will bring all Humanity to the brink of Destruction. It's obvious, sounds reasonable. There are certainly means of deterrence. They have been scaring everyone with us all along tomorrow.

Russia Will use tactical nuclear weapons tomorrow Russia Will use that no the day after tomorrow. So what In order to extort addition money from Us taxpayers and European taxpayers in the confrontation with Russia in the Ukrainian theater of war, the goal is to weaken Russia as much as possible. one of uh, our senior United States senators from the state of New York Chuck Schumer said yesterday: I Believe that we have to continue to fund the Ukrainian effort or US soldiers citizens could wind up fighting there. How do you assess that? Yeah, so far this is reiterating exactly what we said, essentially proxy war on the idea of they're going to use strategic nukes.

It's interesting to see that actually all play out here in this discussion. This is fascinating. It's getting good now. This is a provocation and a cheap provocation at that.

I Do not understand why American Soldiers should fight in Ukraine There are mercenaries from the United States There, the bigger number of mercenaries comes from Poland with mercenaries from the United States in second place and mercenaries from Georgia in third place. Well, if somebody has the desire to send regular troops, that would certainly bring Humanity to the brink of very serious global conflict, this is obvious. Do the United States need this? What? For thousands of miles away from your national territory, don't you have anything better to do? You have issues on the border issues with migration issues with the national debt more than 33 trillion, you have nothing better to do so you should fight in Ukraine Wouldn't it be better to negotiate with Russia Make an agreement already understanding the situation that is developing today, realizing that Russia will fight for its interests to the end, and realizing this actually return to Common Sense Start respecting our country and its interests and look for certain Solutions Yeah, it seems to me that this is much smarter and more rational who blew up This, by the way, is like such a burn on on the American political regime today. Uh, he's kind of Puti