President of the aggressor country Putin/Screenshot
Russian President Putin, in an interview with Tucker Carlson, acknowledged that Russia «did not achieve its goals» in the ongoing war against Ukraine. Putin claimed that in 2014, Russia was «forced to take Crimea under its protection» due to perceived threats.
Speaking on the war and referencing the Minsk agreements, Putin stated that Russia has yet to accomplish the specified goals, particularly denazification, involving the prohibition of all neo-Nazi movements. He asserted that «Ukraine started the war, and Russia’s goal is to stop it».
During the interview, Carlson, considered an American propagandist, asserted that Putin would not return Crimea to Ukraine for the sake of peace, arguing:
«Crimea was in Russian hands at the beginning of this war. So if you really think that Putin will have to give up Crimea as a condition for peace, you are crazy».
Putin defended Russia’s actions, claiming that Crimea was taken under protection in 2014 due to perceived threats to the peninsula. Additionally, Putin accused Ukraine of being unwilling to negotiate.
Tucker Carlson, formerly the host of «Tucker Carlson Tonight» on Fox News until 2023, was terminated in April of the previous year without an official explanation from his employer. CNN noted that «Carlson was a major propagandist for conspiracy theories and radical rhetoric on the channel».