Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has no intention of expanding its war in Ukraine to other countries, including Poland and Latvia.

What Happened: In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Putin made it clear that Russia would only consider sending troops to Poland, a NATO member, if Poland were to attack Russia.

“Can you imagine a scenario where you send Russian troops to Poland?” Carlson asked Putin during the interview.

“Only in one case, if Poland attacks Russia,” Putin said, adding: “We have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else. Why would we do that? We simply don’t have any interest… It is absolutely out of the question.”

The interview, which aired on Thursday, was conducted in Moscow and was the first time Putin had spoken with an American journalist since the invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. The Kremlin stated that Putin agreed to the interview due to Carlson’s different approach to the conflict in Ukraine, compared to many Western news outlets.

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Carlson, who is known to have close ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been critical of the Biden administration’s support for the Ukrainian government. Trump, who is expected to be the Republican Party candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, has called for a de-escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Putin also praised Tesla CEO Elon Musk during a conversation with Carlson. Putin referred to Musk as “a smart guy” and expressed his belief that there is no stopping Musk, despite the controversies surrounding him.

Why It Matters: Putin’s comments come in the wake of a series of events that have raised concerns about the potential for the conflict in Ukraine to spill over into neighboring countries. Last year in February, Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia, warned that Russia could extend its military operations beyond Ukraine to push the borders of threats to its country, even if it meant encroaching on Poland’s borders.

Around the same time, another Russian lawmaker had also warned that Poland’s entry into the Ukrainian conflict would mean the start of World War III, as per Russia. These statements were made in response to Poland’s envoy in France suggesting that Poland might come to Ukraine’s aid if it struggled to defend itself.

Carlson has also previously made attempts to interview Putin. In a conversation with the Swiss publication Die Weltwoche in September, Carlson revealed that he had intended to interview Putin but said the U.S. government thwarted his effort. His interview has sparked widespread debate and criticism. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Carlson, calling him a “useful idiot” for providing a platform for Putin’s propaganda.

Before the interview aired, Carlson urged Americans to watch it “like a free citizen and not a slave.”

Photo by Luca Perra on Shutterstock

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