In front of Tucker Carlson, Vladimir Putin ironizes on the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Steph Deschamps / February 10, 2024

 

Nearly two years after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian president was interviewed by the former Fox News star host, who is hardly critical of Moscow.

 

A joke and a laugh, proving that Vladimir Putin was rather relaxed for his first interview with a Western journalist since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Russian president was interviewed on Thursday February 8 by former Fox News star Tucker Carlson, who is not very critical of Moscow. Vladimir Putin took advantage of this favorable interlocutor to slip in a little joke.

 

The conservative journalist, who is close to Donald Trump, asked the Kremlin leader about the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in September 2022.

  

"Who blew up Nord Stream?" he asked. "You did," Vladimir Putin replied with a smirk. With an embarrassed laugh, Tucker Carlson continued: "I was too busy that day. I didn't blow up Nord Stream". "You personally have an alibi, but the CIA doesn't," retorted the Russian president, more seriously.

 

The explosion of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines on September 26, 2022, causing four huge gas leaks into the international waters of the Baltic Sea, has given rise to numerous nebulous theories on Russia's part. Many of these point to Ukraine's responsibility.

 

Various media investigations have attributed this responsibility to Ukraine, Russia or the USA, but all have denied it. Three investigations have been opened into the matter, in Germany, Sweden and Denmark. The Swedish investigation was the first to end on Wednesday, without any prosecution.

 

"There is no indication that Sweden or Swedish citizens were involved in this attack, which took place in international waters," the Swedish prosecutor said in a statement. "The conclusion of the investigation is that it is not within Swedish jurisdiction and that the investigation should therefore be closed," he said.

 

In addition to the Nord Stream sabotage, Vladimir Putin also spoke at length with Tucker Carlson about the war in Ukraine. In particular, he felt that a Russian defeat in Ukraine was "impossible". "It will never happen [defeat]. It seems to me that now, those in power in the West are also aware of this," added the man who launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

 

In his two-hour message to America and the West, he also said: "If you really want to stop the fighting, you must stop supplying arms", in reference to Western aid to Kiev, as Politico points out. He added: "The situation will be resolved in a few weeks. » 

  

The Kremlin leader also ruled out an invasion of Poland or Latvia. "Can you imagine a scenario in which you send Russian troops into Poland?" asked Tucker Carlson. "Only in one scenario, if Poland attacks Russia," Vladimir Putin replied.

 

The Russian president also took the view that the election of a new US president, scheduled for November 5and expected to pit Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Joe Biden, would not change relations between the United States and Russia.

 

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are both full of praise for each other. The former has boasted, without further elaboration, that he could resolve the war in Ukraine in 24 hours if re-elected. President Joe Biden, on the other hand, has described his Russian counterpart as a war criminal, and is unwavering in his support for Kiev.