THE Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that “what is happening” in Ukraine it is “a matter of life and death” for his country, while for the West the aim is “to improve its strategic position”, according to his interview published today.

Putin assessed that it is “important” for Russians as well as foreigners “to understand our spirit, to understand at what point what is happening in Ukraine is sensitive and important for our country.”

“For the West it is simply about improving its strategic position. But for us it is our destiny, it is a matter of life and death,” he stressed according to an excerpt of his interview posted on social media by the journalist Pavel Zurubin.

The Russian president was referring to the interview he gave to American journalist Tucker Carlson, the first given by Putin to a Western media outlet since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and which has garnered more than 200 million views in China.

In the interview with Carlson, which lasted more than two hours and was seen as a message to the US and Europe, Putin said a defeat for his country in Ukraine was “impossible”, although he added that he was ready for “dialogue” with the West .