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Vladimir Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson

Russia never agreed to Ukraine’s NATO membership — Putin

The President emphasized that Russia had never agreed to NATO's expansion

MOSCOW,February 9. /TASS/. Russia has never given its consent to the idea of Ukraine’s NATO membership and the alliance’s bases on its territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Tucker Carlson published on the US journalist’s website.

"We agreed with the fact that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, our borders should be along the borders of former union republics. We agreed to that, but we never agreed to NATO's expansion, and moreover, we never agreed that Ukraine would be in NATO. We did not agree to NATO bases there without any discussion with us. For decades we kept asking, don't do this, don't do that," the Russian leader said.

Tags

Foreign policy NATO

Military operation in Ukraine

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Global wine production to be lowest since 1961 this year

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Russia to pour over OPCW report on use of toxins in Ukraine — diplomat

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Kiev opposes Washington's demand for lowering draft age — media

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Ukrainian servicemen abandon military units due to fear of Russian army — official

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Russia sees no need to downgrade relations with Poland, ambassador says

Sergey Andreyev explained that relations will eventually need to be restored, so Russia does not want to initiate an escalation

Russians wipe out three Ukrainian strongholds, over 20 Azov fighters in advance on Kharkov

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West deploying troops to Ukraine to up ante in fight with Russia — senior diplomat

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Press review: Energy talks as Putin visits Astana and Biden requests more aid for Kiev

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West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

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Press review: Russia to mass-produce Oreshnik missiles and EU gas prices reach record high

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Defense Minister notes active expansion of Russia-North Korea military cooperation

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Kiev troops attempted to kill British mercenary who surrendered to Russians — officer

In his words, they fired conventional 120mm mortar rounds, silent munitions and at least one FPV drone with a fragmentation charge

Oreshnik becomes serious problem for Ukraine — Polish general

According to Waldemar Skrzypczak, satellite reconnaissance failed to detect the launch and flight of this missile

Putin believes that US President-elect Trump’s life may be in danger

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Biden unlikely to dare to seriously increase military aid to Kiev — expert

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Harald Vilimsky noted that the joint deployment of European troops will further escalate the security situation in Europe

Russia against sending OPCW reps to probe into chemical incidents in Ukraine — diplomat

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US funds 'Nazis, maniacs' in Ukraine, Israel — American journalist

Jackson Hinkle also pointed out that the US authorities are no friend of "freedom-loving American patriots"

Strike on NATO bases possible in case of escalation, Medvedev says

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IN BRIEF: How Russia responded to Kiev’s strikes deep into its territory

Here are the key points about the strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities

Syrian government army hits militants’ positions in southern Idlib — newspaper

According to Al-Watan, Syrian forces targeted militants’ positions in the al-Ruweiha, Khan al-Sabil, and Maardabsa, as well as in the Jebel al-Zawiya mountainous area in southern Idlib and the city of Mareya north of Aleppo

NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant