There have been numerous talking points from Tucker Carlson’s long conversation with Vladimir Putin but one interesting one was where Vladimir Putin, a dyed-in-the-wool KGB man, mocked Tucker Carlson for his desire and inability to join the CIA.
This seemed to flabbergast the former Fox News host who perhaps didn’t expect Putin to have that information. Putin said: “… with the backing of CIA of course. The organisation that you wanted to join back in the day. We should thank god that they didn’t let you in. From what I understand, it’s a serious organization.”
For the uninitiated, Russia’s secret service the KGB and America’s CIA have always been at loggerheads in what became an extension of the Great Game. Putin it would appear has not forgotten that particular part of his life, as evidenced by him mocking Carlson’s inability to join the CIA.
Putin served 15 years as a foreign intelligence officer for the KGB, including six years in Dresden, East Germany. He retired in 1990 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Putin also spoke about the sabotage of the Nord Stream undersea gas pipelines between Germany, Finland and Russia, Putin claimed that the CIA or NATO was behind the sabotage. While Russia was initially blamed for the attack, US officials later contended it was done by a pro-Ukrainian group.
When asked by Carlson who “blew up the Nord Stream”, Putin replied: “You for sure.” When the former Fox News host joked he was “busy that day”, Putin said: “The CIA has no such alibi”. However, Putin refused to give any details for his claims and said one ought to look for “someone who is interested” and “who has the capability”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to urge Washington to recognize Moscow’s interests and persuade Ukraine to sit down for talks.
Putin also said that Russia stands ready to negotiate a potential prisoner exchange that would free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was detained last March on espionage charges he denies, and hinted that Moscow wants the release of its agent imprisoned in Germany.
Most of the interview, released Thursday, focused on Ukraine, where the war is nearing the two-year mark. Putin repeated his claim that his invasion of Ukraine, which Kyiv and its allies described as an unprovoked act of aggression, was necessary to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and prevent the country from posing a threat to Russia by joining NATO.
Putin pointed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s refusal to conduct talks with the Kremlin. He argued that it’s up to Washington to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and convince Kyiv, which he called a U.S. “satellite,” to sit down for negotiations.
With inputs from agencies
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
