The Western audience was the main recipient of this speech.
Photo: REUTERS
From the point of view of the Russian viewer, Vladimir Putin’s interview with Tucker Carlson did not contain any special revelations. The President has spoken more than once in various audiences about how the Kiev regime, at the last moment, under direct pressure from the West, broke the peace agreements already signed in Istanbul, which could have avoided the hot phase of the conflict. He also mentioned the ban imposed by Zelensky on all residents of Ukraine, including himself, from negotiating with Russia, something that our country, on the contrary, does not reject. And about how the West, spurning its own promises, began to expand NATO wave after wave, bringing the bloc’s military potential closer to our borders. And many other things, which this time he told the interviewer about him.
But, as many experts point out, almost all of this information was completely unknown to millions of ordinary people in the West. For years, political elites and influential media in the United States and Europe repressed and distorted the position of Russian leaders, portraying Moscow as a demon. And it turns out that there was great interest in discovering the truth. Tucker Carlson provided that opportunity to everyone, brilliantly promoting his campaign.
“The Western public was the main addressee of this speech,” Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the Institute of the United States and Canada, expressed confidence on Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda (97.2 FM). – In addition, there is an increase in positive attitudes towards the personality of the Russian leader. According to recent studies, in the United States now 26% of respondents have a positive attitude towards the President of the Russian Federation, although before the start of the SVO this figure did not exceed 13%.
The question of what to do next with Ukraine is of fundamental importance to the West. Either escalate or take a course towards a diplomatic solution. There Russia is presented as an “aggressive empire” ready to invade Europe. And so, you see, global nuclear war is not far away. For Putin it was important to emphasize that at some point one must stop, think and start negotiating. Moreover, it is obvious to everyone: no one will be able to inflict strategic defeat on Russia, neither in the economy, nor in foreign policy and, especially, on the battlefield.
The president managed to convincingly demonstrate that the negotiations would not be left in the hands of Moscow, as long as there was someone to talk to. But our partners don’t want to communicate honestly or simply can’t anymore. Westerners see a self-confident Putin on the screen, listen to his rational and understandable arguments even for those who have no experience in international affairs, compare him with his anonymous leaders and draw conclusions. Far from being in favor of these same leaders.
Well, it’s hard to disagree with this point of view. In fact, Tucker Carlson himself appears to have undergone this metamorphosis. When I was in Moscow for the first time, I walked the streets, talked to people and looked at the shops. And I realized: this is not the nightmare-horror that they talk about there in the West, but a completely normal, interesting and rich life. And most importantly: the vast majority of Russians are confident that they are right.
The phrase said by Carlson before leaving home was indicative. “You have to be crazy to think that Russia will give up Crimea,” she said confidently. This is the quality that she acquired from her brief communication with different people in Moscow. So it happened. And this is worth a lot!
