Putin Interview

The interview was mostly a history lecture delivered by Vladimir Putin.  His promised minute of background soon expanded to an hour of Russian history going back to the 9th century and the founding of Kiev (Kyiv) by the Rus.  The Rus were Vikings who raided east and are the titular source for Russia.  He explained how this early Russian state had the two poles of Novgorod and Kiev.  Through the centuries, what is now Ukraine was considered part of Russia, most especially that part east of the Dnieper River.  He blames Stalin for having allocated that region to the administrative authority of Ukraine, not really a country so much as a governmental district.  With the breakup of the Soviet Union, the mostly ethnically Russian eastern Ukraine and Crimea were stuck with the mixed ethnicities of western Ukraine.  That was not so bad.  The West promised not to advance NATO.  However, NATO did advance in waves and, in 2008, said the door was open for Ukraine.  He labeled the 2014 revolution in Ukraine to have been a coup d'etat engineered by the West.  From his perspective, the ethnically Russian east was being attacked by Western-backed neo-Nazis.  How could it be wrong for him to fight Nazis?  He brought up the instance of a former Nazi addressing the Canadian parliament and getting an ovation.  Sadly, that's a true story.

It was interesting but not particularly engaging.  Putin was very repetitive and Tucker mostly just sat listening.  This was not a back and forth conversation since they do not speak a common language.  Tucker did have some good questions.  Who blew up Nord Stream pipeline?  Putin said, "You."  Obviously, he meant the United States but Tucker responded by saying he had an alibi for that day.  Silliness.  Clarifying, Putin pointed the finger at the CIA, saying it required certain abilities to blow up a pipeline that far beneath the surface and that most countries didn't have the capacity.  Later, he asked why Putin didn't just deal with the US - as Ukraine is nothing but an American proxy - in order to secure a peace deal.  Putin stated that America could easily have Zelinsky agree to a peace if America wanted peace.  He announced a willingness to come to an agreement.  Tucker asked if he might invade Poland.  Certainly not.  Such would only happen if Poland attacked Russia.

Part of Putin's argument for annexing those parts of Ukraine that are east of the Dnieper River sounded a lot like Hitler's reasons for taking the Sudetenland in 1938.  Hitler said the region was populated by ethnic Germans, which was true.  However, it was also a natural barrier against German invasion.  Is this a case of history repeating?

Putin frequently accused the West of dealing in bad faith.  The advance of NATO and the long history of meddling in Ukraine was mentioned several times.  He suggested that US presidents weren't really in charge of foreign policy.  In a conversation with President Clinton, he asked if Russia could join NATO.  Clinton didn't give an answer at the time but later said not.  Putin viewed this as Clinton being told by the true powers that be what the answer should be.  He mentioned that he had good relations with George W. Bush and Donald Trump.  One supposes that means he didn't have good relations with Obama and Biden.

Clearly, if Putin ever leaves office, he has a bright future as a guest lecturer or even a professor of Russian History.  I took Russian History in college and he sounded spot on from my recollection.  However, the interview is slow and monotonous, only occasionally interesting.  Accusing the West is what you expect him to say, so little of it was a surprise.  The reaction from other media sources is the most surprising thing.  Jealousy that Carlson got the scoop?  Disappointment that Russia's side of the story has an outlet?  If you read to this point, you can skip watching the interview.