Vladimir Putin has said Bill Clinton misled him over Russia’s potential membership of NATO two decades ago.
During a lengthy interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the Russian president said he asked the outgoing President Clinton if his country could join the alliance when he visited the Kremlin in 2000.
He claims Mr Clinton initially suggested he believed that would be possible, before rowing back on the statement later that same evening.
Speaking through a translator, President Putin said: “I asked him: ‘Bill, do you think if Russia asked to join NATO, do you think it would happen?’
“Suddenly he said, ‘you know, it’s interesting. I think so’.
“But in the evening, when we met for dinner, he said: ‘You know, I’ve talked to my team, no, it’s not possible now’.”
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Image: Pic: Tucker Carlson Network/REUTERS
In a conversation that spanned more that two hours, Mr Putin spoke at length about his view of Russian history and the nation’s relationship with Ukraine from the ninth century to the present day.
On the subject of the war in Ukraine, he told Carlson – who has been a vocal critic of US support for Kyiv – he would be prepared to negotiate a peace with Volodymyr Zelenskyy but added that Russia had not yet achieved its aims in the country, including “de-Nazification”.
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He said: “We have never refused negotiations indeed. We hear all the time, is Russia ready?
“Yes. We have not refused. It was them who publicly refused. Well, let him cancel his decree [not to negotiate with Russia] and enter into negotiations. We have never refused.”
Mr Putin further claimed that he “couldn’t remember” the last time he spoke to President Biden and that Russian defeat on the battlefield was “impossible”.
Image: Evan Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges while on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg
He said: “Up until now, there has been the uproar and screaming about inflicting a strategic defeat to Russia on the battlefield. But now they are apparently coming to realise that it is difficult to achieve, if possible, at all.
“In my opinion, it is impossible by definition. It is never going to happen. It seems to me that now those who are in power in the West have come to realise this as well.”
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6:19
Can Ukraine win the war against Russia?
The Russian president also said that he had “no interest” in attacking Poland or Latvia, saying he would only do so if either country were to attack Russia.
“It goes against common sense to get involved in some kind of a global war and a global war will bring all humanity to the brink of destruction. It’s obvious,” he says.
However, it should be remembered that in January 2022 Putin said he had no plans to invade Ukraine, just days before he sent tanks and troops over the border.
On the topic of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been in a Russian prison for almost a year, Mr Putin said he would not “rule out” returning the journalist to the US, provided the US takes “reciprocal steps”.
Russia has accused Gershkovich of being an American spy, something the US denies.
Tucker Carlson, who has been a vocal supporter of Mr Putin in the past, was sacked from Fox News in April last year.
He took up the prime-time weekday evenings spot on Fox News in 2016 with his show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and quickly established himself as a key player in the network and an influential voice in Republican politics.
He often embraced conspiracy theories and far-right issues. He repeatedly questioned the efficacy of COVID vaccines and compared mandates to “Nazi experiments”.
While he found success with viewers, his inflammatory comments caused some advertisers to distance themselves from the programme.
Israel had “no other choice” but to attack Iran because it was proceeding “dramatically” towards a nuclear bomb, Israeli President Isaac Herzog has claimed.
He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid reports that President Donald Trump vetoed a plan to kill him.
It comes as Israel and Iran continue to fire missiles at each other after Israel launched an unprecedented strike on Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities.
Tehran has long denied that its nuclear program has been attempting to obtain a nuclear weapon.
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0:58
Sky’s Yalda Hakim interrupted by air raid sirens
Mr Herzog was asked why Israel attacked Iran when it did.
“When you take such decisions of historic magnitude and proportions, you have to analyse all facets and all facts,” he replied.
“The truth of the matter is there was no other choice.”
Image: Isaac Herzog speaks to Yalda Hakim
He claimed Iran was proceeding “dramatically” towards the bomb, both in terms of the enrichment of uranium and, “clandestinely”, the armament part of the process.
“I’ve always been very crystal clear with regards to a nuclear capability of our enemies – it has to be removed at once.”
Mr Herzog added: “We have to remove the Iranian nuclear program because we see the negotiating process as being futile because they are lying whilst talking to us.
“They are lying whilst talking to the United States and other allies.”
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He also suggested the Israeli war cabinet was discussing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after reports Mr Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill him.
“Let’s just remember that the Supreme Leader of Iran has for years called for the annihilation of Israel.”
Iran’s response to Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities is “self-defence” and a “matter of principle”, the Iranian ambassador to the UK has told Sky News.
Speaking exclusively to The World With Yalda Hakim, Seyed Ali Mousavi said the “barbaric Israeli regime” is “violating international law” – describing Israel’s actions in recent days as “an act of aggression against the Iranian people”.
The conflict between Israel and Iran – once played out in a series of proxy wars – has escalated in the past three days.
Image: Sky’s Yalda Hakim spoke to Iran’s ambassador to the UK, Seyed Ali Mousavi
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1:42
Israel-Iran: How the conflict escalated
On Friday morning, explosions hit Tehran as Israel carried out a major attack on its top army leaders, nuclear sites, and nuclear scientists.
Iran threatened “severe punishment” and quickly retaliated with a wave of missiles.
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0:18
Missile aftermath in Israel
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0:31
Israeli missile hits warehouse in Iranian city
When questioned about whether Iran could continue fighting Israel, the Iranian ambassador told Yalda Hakim that “it is a matter of principle”.
He said: “This is about self-defence, there is no doubt about it.
“We are a responsible member state of the UN and we do all activities according to our international obligations.
“Any activities are only in the framework of self-defence.”
Image: Damage from an Iranian missile attack to a building in Bat Yam, Israel. Pic: Reuters
Image: Explosions over Jerusalem on Sunday
He added that his country would “do our best to preserve our territorial integrity”, and that “with the help of God”, Iran will “materialise endeavours concretely against our enemy – the Israeli regime”.
Mr Mousavi also told Hakim that Iran’s nuclear activities are “monitored”, and that recent comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were “politically motivated”.
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0:58
Missiles have also been seen over Tel Aviv
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors found Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
Iran said it has “always adhered” to the safeguarding obligations laid down by the watchdog.
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15:10
Iranian ambassador reacts to strikes – full interview
Announcing Operation Rising Lion on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had recently taken steps to weaponise enriched uranium, which could be used to make nuclear weapons.
But Mr Mousavi stressed that Iran’s “peaceful activities” at its “nuclear fields” were only for the “generation of electricity, and other peaceful” things.
Iran was due to continue its round of negotiations with the US in Muscat – however, this was cancelled, given recent tensions.
The government is warning people not to travel to Israel under any circumstances, as the country’s missile exchange with Iran shows no sign of abating.
On Friday, the Foreign Office warned against “all but essential travel” to most of Israel.
The areas around Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan Heights were already classed as red zones, with warnings to avoid travel to these areas.
But the government has now updated the warning for the remainder of the country to red.
This puts Israel on the same level as Iran, and the change of advice is also likely to impact travel insurance.
However, with Israel’s airspace closed, it is unlikely many people will be attempting the journey, and Israel’s national airline El Al has announced it is cancelling flights to and from many European cities, as well as Tokyo and Moscow, until 23 June.
The change in travel advice comes after a second night of ballistic missile barrages from Iran following Israel’s attack in the early hours of Friday morning.
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1:43
An eight-storey residential building in Tel Aviv was hit by a missile last night.
On Sunday morning, Israel’s health ministry said 12 people had been killed over the past day, taking the total since Friday to 15. It also said 385 people had arrived at hospital with injuries overnight.
Iran has not provided a total number of deaths or overall casualties, but has claimed dozens have been killed.
Iran’s health minister has said most of those injured and killed in Israeli strikes were civilians. According to comments carried by news agency IRNA, he said the majority were women and children.
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18:00
The chancellor said UK forces could “potentially” be used to help defend Israel.
The UK government is sending military assets, including fighter jets, to the Middle East.
While the prime minister would not confirm to reporters that UK forces could be used to defend Israel from future Iranian attacks, the chancellor told Sky News earlier that the government is “not ruling anything out”.
Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Rachel Reeves said sending military assets to the Middle East “does not mean that we are at war”, and emphasised that “we have not been involved in these strikes or this conflict”.
“But we do have important assets in the region,” she continued. “And it is right that we send jets to protect them. And that’s what we’ve done. It’s a precautionary move, and at the same time, we are urging de-escalation.”
Pushed on the question of what the UK would do if Israel asked for support with its operations, the chancellor replied: “I’m not going to rule anything out at this stage. It’s a fast-moving situation, a very volatile situation. But we don’t want to see escalation.”