Photo: Alexandr Kazakov/TASS
MOSCOW, February 15 /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin that Western politicians are distorting his words about the reasons for the special military operation, which was triggered by Kiev's refusal to implement the Minsk agreements. He said that Russia should have started active actions in Ukraine earlier, he described US President Joe Biden as a better candidate for Russia and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as "our man". Putin also shared his impressions from a recent interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.
Reasons for special operation
Putin accused Western officials of distorting and misrepresenting his statements about the reasons for the Russian special operation, "I never said that the reason for launching our special operation in Ukraine was the threat of a NATO attack on Russia."
The president said he was referring to the continued expansion of NATO and Kiev's plans to join it, "Of course, we were and still are concerned about the possibility of Ukraine being drawn into NATO because it would be a threat to our security." A while adding: "The real impetus was the complete refusal of the Ukrainian authorities today to implement the Minsk agreements. The only thing we can regret is that we did not take active action earlier, thinking that we were dealing with decent people."
Interview for Tucker Carlson
It's good that Western leaders watched his conversation with the American journalist: "It's good that they are watching and listening to what I say. If we can't have a direct dialogue now, for whatever reasons that are associated with them, we should be grateful to Mr. Carlson that we can do it through him as a mediator."
Putin admitted he was not fully satisfied with the interview because he was going to answer "pointed questions", but Carlson chose a different tactic.
Putin believes that the arrest of American journalist Tucker Carlson in the United States is theoretically possible: 'From the point of view of Carlson himself, it would be sad, I don't envy him, but it's his choice, he knew what he was getting into. But from the point of view of making people around the world aware of what the modern liberal-democratic dictatorship, which is vividly represented by today's ruling class in the US, is, it would probably be a good thing. They would then show their true colors."
Preferred US President
Russia is prepared to work with any president of the United States elected by the American people, but would prefer Joe Biden: "He is more experienced and predictable. He is an 'old school' politician. But we will work with any US leader elected by the American people."
During his face-to-face meeting with Biden, Putin did not detect any signs that would indicate the possibility of his incompetence: 'Yes, he sometimes looked at his notes, but frankly, I looked at mine too. And the reports about him hitting his head on the way out of the helicopter - who has never had that happen?"
The increased public attention to the health of the current US President Joe Biden is a consequence of the heated election campaign in the country, but it would be unfair if Russia interfered. For Moscow, it is not the health of the candidates that is important, but their political approaches: "I think that the approach of the current administration is most harmful and wrong."
"Our man" Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken de facto admitted in an earlier speech that "Kiev and adjacent territories" are traditionally Russian, Putin said. "On the face of it, Blinken is our guy. But he should not make public statements of this kind. It may lead to (his) failure."
Baerbock and the responsibility of the Germans
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is hostile not only to Russia but also to her own country: 'It is hard to imagine a civil servant of her level neglecting the economic interests of her own country and her own people to such an extent.'
In his view, the Green Party, of which Baerbock is a member, is exploiting the fear of the population while pursuing policies that are drastically different from the promises it made before the elections.
Commenting on reports in the German media that Minister Baerbock's grandfather was a Nazi, Putin said, "You cannot pass the responsibility for what Hitler and his descendants did - not only in Germany, but in other parts of the world, Europe and so on - to today's generation. I think that would be unfair."
TASS/gnews.cz-JaV_07
https://tass.com/politics/1746659
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