Putin: Russia views Ukrainian issue as matter of life and death

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the situation around Ukraine is a matter of life and death for Russia.

“The situation around Ukraine is a matter of life and death for Russia, while the West doesn’t care as much,” Putin said in comments on his interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, TASS reports.

Putin made the comments in an interview with All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company journalist Pavel Zarubin.

The president said that it was important to get across to the Russian and foreign viewers how much significance Russia attaches to "everything that happens in the Ukrainian direction."

"For the West this is about improving their tactical position, but for us this is about our destiny, a matter of life and death. I wanted people that will listen to this [interview with Carlson] to realise that. It’s not up to me to judge whether it hit the mark or not," Putin said.

The interview with Carlson was published overnight into February 9. A significant part of the two-hour conversation was devoted to the Ukrainian conflict and Russia's relations with the US, NATO and the West as a whole. The journalist previously said he had tried to conduct an interview with the Russian leader last year, but was banned from doing so by the US government.