Speaking about the goals of what he called a “special military operation” in Ukraine, Putin said they had not yet been achieved, as one of the aims was “Nazification”. For the first time, Putin expanded on what that meant. “It's about banning all kinds of neo-Nazi movements. We have to remove people who hold to this idea and support this practice and try to protect it,” he said.
Asked when he last spoke with US President Joe Biden, Putin said, “I don't remember when I spoke with him,” adding that the two last spoke before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Carlson never mentioned former President Donald Trump by name, but Putin did. “I had a personal relationship with Trump,” he said, adding that he personally met George W. Liked Bush too.
Asked for his thoughts on X owner Elon Musk, Putin said he is rumored to have implanted a chip in the human brain: “I don't think Elon Musk can be stopped. He will do whatever he wants.”
Asked about Ivan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter who has been in pre-trial detention for nearly a year on espionage charges — charges he and his boss vehemently deny — Putin said the two countries' special services were “in touch with each other” and “there is no stopping them from solving this problem.” .”
“He is not just a journalist. Let me reiterate. He is a journalist who receives classified information,” Putin responded to Carlson's objections that Gershkovich was not a spy.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”