'Impossible to be defeated in Ukraine': Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tucker Carlson

In an interview with US host Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin said "it is impossible by definition" to defeat his country in Ukraine.

Carlson's late-night interview with Putin, which has faced backlash from the US, has thrown light on the president's views on topics ranging from the Russia-Ukraine war to the country's relationship with the US.

Notably, this was Putin's first interview with a West-based media personality since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022.

'Absolutely out of question'

The Russian President began the interview with a 20-minute-long monologue on the days of Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796 to the history of Eastern Europe and Russia.

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He added that Russia is yet to achieve its war aims in Ukraine. "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 of humanity to the brink of devastation.”

The Russian president said that while his government is in close touch with the US government, a peaceful resolution to the war would only become a reality if Washington stops supplying weapons to Kyiv.

“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,” Putin said.

'Not interested in attacking Latvia, Poland'

In the two-hour-long interview with former FOX News Anchor Tucker Carlson, Putin reiterated that while Russia will continue fighting for its interests, his government does not plan to make any territorial claims in Poland or Latvia.

Asked if he could imagine a scenario in which he would send Russian troops to Poland, a NATO member, Putin replied, "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."

The Russian leader claimed that he "never refused" to negotiate peace deals with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With inputs from agencies