Referenced Resources

Here’s a breakdown of the resources mentioned in the interview, categorized by type:

People

• Vladimir Putin - President of Russia, the interviewee.
• Rurik - Varangian prince invited to reign in Novgorod in 862, considered the establishment of the Russian state.
• Prince Oleg - Rurik’s successor who came to Kyiv in 882, playing the role of regent.
• Prince Vladimir - Great-grandson of Rurik who baptized Russia in 988 and adopted Orthodoxy.
• Prince Yaroslav the Wise - Introduced the order of succession to a throne in the Middle Ages.
• Genghis Khan - Emperor whose empire conquered and fragmented the Russian state.
• Batuhan - Successor of Genghis Khan who came to Rus and plundered cities.
• Bogdan Khmelnytsky - Man who controlled power in part of Russian lands (now Ukraine) and wrote letters to Warsaw and Moscow in the 17th century.
• Katharina the Great - Empress under whom Russia reclaimed historical lands in the South and West.
• Hitler - Mentioned in the context of Poland’s collaboration and the start of World War II.
• Egon Barr - Major politician of the Social Democratic Party in Germany who insisted on a new security system in Europe without NATO expansion.
• Bill Clinton - Outgoing President of the United States with whom Putin had a conversation about Russia joining NATO.
• Viktor Orban - Prime Minister of Hungary, asked if Putin told him he could have part of Ukraine.
• Bismarck - Mentioned in relation to the importance of potential in economy and state power.
• Bush Jr. (George W. Bush) - President of the United States who proposed a missile defense system.
• Bush Sr. (George H.W. Bush) - Former President of the United States who invited Putin to his home.
• Condoleezza Rice - Former US Secretary of State, mentioned as a witness to conversations about missile defense.
• Robert Gates - Former US Secretary of Defense and Director of CIA, mentioned as a witness to conversations about missile defense.
• Joe Biden - Current President of the United States, with whom Putin has not spoken since before February 2022.
• Viktor Yanukovych - Former President of Ukraine who came to power after Kuchma and whose actions led to the coup in 2014.
• Viktor Yushchenko - Pro-Western politician who came to power in Ukraine after Yanukovych’s first election win.
• Lenin - Founder of the Soviet state, insisted that republics be included in the USSR as autonomous entities with the right to withdraw.
• Stalin - Insisted that republics be included in the USSR as autonomous entities and shaped Ukraine as an artificial state.
• Chuck Schumer - Senior United States Senator from New York, quoted on the need to fund the Ukrainian effort.
• Elon Musk - Mentioned in relation to implanting a chip in the human brain and the need to regulate AI development.
• Xi Jinping - President of China, Putin’s colleague and friend, with whom trade goals are set.
• Bandera - Ukrainian nationalist who collaborated with Hitler and is considered a national hero in Ukraine.
• Shukievich - Ukrainian nationalist who collaborated with Hitler and is considered a national hero in Ukraine.
• Dostoevsky - Genius of Russian literature, mentioned in relation to the “Russian soul” and moral values.
• Genghis Khan - Mentioned as an example of a historical figure whose empire rose and fell.
• Elon Musk - Mentioned in the context of human brain chip implantation and the need for regulation.
• Evan Gershkovits - Wall Street Journal reporter imprisoned in Russia, discussed in the context of potential exchange.
• Mr. Carson - Mentioned by Putin in relation to negotiations about neo-Nazism in Ukraine.
• Mr. Arahamiya - Head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul negotiations, who initialed a document.
• Mr. Johnson (Boris Johnson) - Former Prime Minister of Great Britain, who dissuaded Ukraine from signing a peace settlement.
• Prince Vladimir - Mentioned in relation to the baptism of Russia and the adoption of Orthodoxy.
• Princess Olga - Grandmother of Prince Vladimir, who followed Orthodox Christianity.

Organizations

• Russia - The country whose president is being interviewed, and whose historical claims and actions are central to the discussion.
• The Kremlin - The building where the interview was shot.
• NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization, discussed in the context of its eastward expansion and perceived threat to Russia.
• United States - Country whose policies and actions are frequently discussed as a driver of conflict and geopolitical tension.
• Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Mentioned as a historical entity that the southern part of Russian lands gravitated towards.
• Kingdom of Poland - Mentioned in relation to its union with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its historical control over parts of Ukrainian lands.
• Polish-Lithuanian state - Historical entity formed by the union of Poland and Lithuania.
• Austrian general staff - Relying on Ukrainianization ideas before World War I.
• Bolsheviks - Sought to restore statehood after the 1917 revolution and started building the USSR.
• Social Democratic Party - German political party, represented by Egon Barr.
• UN - United Nations, mentioned in relation to its Charter and international law.
• FSB - Federal Security Service of Russia, mentioned in relation to communication with the CIA.
• CIA - Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, accused of working with opposition and separatists in Russia, and potentially involved in Nord Stream sabotage.
• SS troops - Mentioned in relation to Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Hitler.
• G7 - Group of seven industrialized nations, whose share in the world economy has declined.
• BRICS - Group of emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), discussed as a growing economic bloc.
• Wall Street Journal - The publication for which Evan Gershkovits works.
• Monaco - Mentioned humorously as a potential recipient of information that Russian espionage suspect was interested in.
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Mentioned as an institution that unites people and whose dismantling by Ukrainian authorities is seen as an attempt to separate souls.

Documents

• Letters from Bogdan Khmelnytsky - Copies of letters to Warsaw and Moscow, presented as evidence of historical claims.
• Minsk Agreements - Agreements signed after events in 2014 concerning a peaceful settlement in Donbas, which Ukraine is accused of not implementing.

Tools

• Missile defense system - Discussed in the context of a joint proposal between Russia, the US, and Europe, and its unilateral development by the US.
• Hypersonic systems - Developed by Russia as a countermeasure to missile defense systems.

Technologies

• AI (Artificial Intelligence) - Discussed as a current threat and area requiring international agreement and regulation.
• Genetic research - Discussed as a field with potential to create a “superhuman” and requiring regulation.
• Nuclear weapons - Mentioned as a past existential threat that led to international agreements.
• Chips implanted in the human brain - Mentioned in relation to Elon Musk and the need for regulation.

Concepts/Events

• The war in Ukraine - The central topic of the interview, including its origins, progress, and potential end.
• The Great Patriotic War (World War II) - Referenced in historical context.
• The Cold War - Referenced in relation to post-Soviet relations and NATO expansion.
• Baptism of Russia - A significant historical event in 988.
• The Mongol Invasion of Rus’ - Historical event where successors of Genghis Khan plundered Rus’.
• The Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland - Historical union that influenced the region.
• The Union of Brest - Religious union where some Orthodox priests became subordinate to the Pope.
• The Maidan Revolution/Coup in Ukraine (2014) - Described as a coup supported by the West, leading to subsequent events.
• The Nord Stream Pipeline explosions - Discussed as an act of industrial terrorism, with accusations directed at the CIA and NATO.
• Sanctions - Discussed in relation to their impact on Russia and the US dollar.
• The collapse of the Soviet Union - Discussed as a catalyst for current geopolitical dynamics.
• Denazification - A stated goal of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, explained as eradicating neo-Nazi movements and ideology.
• “Surprise attack” by the US/NATO - A justification cited by Putin for the start of the conflict.
• Ukrainianization - Policies promoted by the Austrian general staff and later the Bolsheviks.
• Multipolar world - A concept describing the current global political and economic landscape.
• “Golden Billion” - A concept implying a privileged group of nations.
• Industrial terrorism - Used to describe the Nord Stream pipeline explosions.
• Espionage - The legal qualification of Evan Gershkovits’s actions.
• Civil war - Used to describe the conflict in Ukraine by Putin.
• “Boogeyman stories” - Used to dismiss fears of Chinese dominance and aggressive foreign policy.
• Strategic defeat of Russia - An objective that Western powers allegedly aimed for.
• “Non-titular nationality” - A legal status applied to Russians in Ukraine.
• Religious values/Orthodoxy - Central to Putin’s understanding of Russia and its people.
• Moral values vs. Pragmatism - A distinction drawn between Russian and Western culture.
• Superhuman/Genetically engineered human - A potential outcome of genetic research.