Vladimir Putin talking to Tucker Carlson on 16 August

'We would have never considered to even lift a finger if it hadn't been for the Maidan coup. We had agreed to Russia's 1991 borders...but we never agreed to NATO's expansion and we never agreed that Ukraine would be in NATO.’

The only way for lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe is a recognition of Russia’s legitimate security interests and a compromise.

The US would never have allowed Mexico or Canada to hypothetically join a Russian-led military alliance, and would have deposed the governments pursuing membership in less than a week."