The following are my ‘takeaways’ from listening closely to the Tucker Carlson-Putin Interview of this past week. A number of revelations came out of the interview (e.g. repeated role of France, Germany, UK and CIA scuttling a resolution to the conflict) as well as Putin’s deep commitment to continue until Ukraine is no longer a threat to Russia. One comes away from listening to the interview that Putin feels he has been ‘had’ by the US/EU so often he no longer trusts its politicians and doesn’t believe US presidents have the power to decide; he, and Russians in general, have a deep belief that Russia and Ukraine (and Belarus) are ‘one people’ who have been divided by invaders in the past but always re-united again; and that he’s ready to negotiate but Zelensky and US/NATO have ruled it out and would have to initiate it. Finally, US sanctions have failed, the world is changing fast, and many countries have developed to the point they no longer do whatever the US wants and are demanding more independence.
1) Putin says he’s ready to negotiate but Zelensky has outlawed discussions and US/NATO doesn’t want to. Zelensky is “head of Ukraine state. He could cancel his decree” and negotiate. Russia’s ready but will not ask for negotiations. Russia’s minimal demands: No NATO. Neutral Ukraine. Nazis out of Ukraine government & military
2) Russia & Ukraine had a signed deal in Istanbul in April ’22 to end war. As part of the deal, Donbass remained in Ukraine but with some autonomy. Russia asked to withdraw troops from Kiev as a sign of good faith during negotiations in Istanbul and did. Zelensky reneged on the deal after Boris Johnson flew in and told him to, promising him all the money and weapons he needed.
3) Putin gave a long historical introduction on history of Russia & Ukraine since 862. He explained attempts (in 1200s, 1650s, 1918-21, 1941-44) by invaders to split Ukraine from Russia that all eventually failed. (Suggesting current NATO effort would too). A major repeated Putin theme as Ukraine & Russia have always been one people
4) Western Ukraine (Lvov region) before WW2 was Poland-Hungarian-Romanian, but given to Ukraine by Stalin after WW2 after Poland was given eastern Germany. Putin implied the West could have western Ukraine back (as Putin suggested in prior speeches). West Ukraine is not part of historic Russian homeland which is Russia-Ukraine-Belarus.
5) Russia wanted to join Europe after 1991 but was repeatedly rejected by West. Putin described face-to-face meetings with Clinton & Bush Jr. where they agreed re. Russia joining NATO (Clinton) and stopping US intervention in Chechnya (Bush) but both Clinton and Bush then reversed after conferring with advisors. Putin’s impression US presidents can’t make a deal and are often overturned by other powers in Washington. China’s Xi has the same impression, per Putin.
6) After meeting with Bush, Putin gave him proof CIA was involved in Chechnya war. Bush replied “Well, I’m going to kick their ass”. Bush never got back to Putin after. In 2008 US/NATO in Bucharest NATO meeting declared Ukraine & Georgia would soon join NATO. Russia’s 2008 War with Georgia followed
7) Re. 2014 coup, Putin said “CIA did its job” but it was unnecessary. It “could have been done all legally”. Ukraine president at the time (Yanukovich) was warned by US/EU at the time of the coup not to use police or army against demonstrators in Maidan. He didn’t. Yanukovich agreed to a 3rdre-election not provided by Ukraine’s constitution but they went ahead with coup anyway. US representatives bragged they spent $5B on the coup. Putin would not mention names (Victoria Nuland). Regarding 2015 Minsk agreement: Putin said Ukraine refused to implement it. EU leaders (Germany’s Merkel & France’s Holland) admitted in 2022 Minsk agreement in 2015 was ‘just to buy time’ to rearm Ukraine. In Putin’s words: “They simply led us by the nose”
8) When asked by Carlson if current talk in the West that if Russia wins in Ukraine it means it will invade Europe, Putin replied ‘only if they attack Russia first’. US mercenaries are already fighting in Ukraine. And when Carlson mentioned US Sen. Schumer’s statement that the US might have to fight in Ukraine, Putin sarcastically said: “Does the US have nothing better to do than fight in Ukraine”. If US did commit troops to Ukraine, it would push world to “brink of humanity”.
9) When asked by Carlson who blew up the Nordstream pipeline, Putin: “CIA has no alibi” and “look at those interested and have capability of doing it” and “beneficiaries are American institutions”. When Carlson asked for more evidence US did it, Putin replied Russia has the evidence but no purpose to reveal it now. Germany has shut down 2 other pipelines that can still be opened & Russia will gladly resume sending gas(naming names might obviously jeopardize what he implied). Germany goes along with US because “German leaders are driven by interests of collaborative west rather than German interests”.
10) Putin: Biden’s Russian sanctions are “a grave mistake”. By weaponizing the US $, the US is undermining its global economic influence. Putin: The dollar is the cornerstone of US power. “Do you even realize what’s going on or not? You are cutting yourself off”. He added, before 2022, “80% Russia’s trade was in $ and only 3% in Yuan. Now 30% is in Yuan, 30% in Rubles and only 13% in $US.
11) Sanctions failed. Russia is now 5th largest economy in ‘purchasing power parity’ measure. China 1st. Russia-China trade now >$240B. BRICS economies are now as large in GDP as US/G7. Sanction “tools US uses don’t work”
12) World is changing very fast. US can’t stop it but is reacting aggressively & militarily to the change. Threats from genetics, AI technologies, ‘brain chip’, etc. Much like gunpowder in the prior era. There’s “no stopping Elon Musk” (i.e. technological change)
13) Carlson asked if Russia would negotiate. Putin: “They’re options if there’s a will”. Those in power must realize Russia can’t be defeated. West “stopped negotiations”.. “Let them correct their mistake”..”I know they want it; let them think how to do it.”Ukraine is now a satellite of the USA, which spends $72B a year on it
14) Putin: what’s happening “to an extent is a civil war”. Ukraine and Russia will be reunited again. “No one can separate the Russian soul” (once again returning to the theme at the start of the interview that historically) Russia, Ukraine, Belarus are one people
15) Among the various reporting ‘bombshells’ revealed by Carlson’s interview was Putin’s clarification it wasn’t Ukraine negotiators at Istanbul that requested Russia pull back from Kiev in ’22 as a show of good faith..it was Macron (France) and Sholtz (Germany) request. And so much for the Western media myth of Ukraine’s great military ‘victory’ driving the Russians out of Kiev in April ’22
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This content originally appeared on CounterPunch.org and was authored by Jack Rasmus.
This post was originally published on Radio Free.
