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Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
President, Russia
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WATCH: Putin Responds To US Journo Over Falling 'APPROVAL RATINGS' & Donbass

📅 Jun 04, 2026 Times Now World 9 MIN 52648 VIEWS 6 SEGMENTS · 3 SPEAKERS
ST. PETERSBURG — Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly rejected assertions by U.S. political figures that the military campaign in Ukraine has turned into a "strategic disaster," using a rare, direct confrontational exchange with American press to layout Moscow's terms for peace. Responding to sharp questioning from Associated Press News Director James Jordan regarding falling domestic approval ratings, economic contraction, and recent Ukrainian drone strikes hitting a naval base and oil depot in St. Petersburg, Putin claimed that Russia's territorial goals in the Donbass and a negotiated...

What Vladimir Putin said

Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.

Putin responded to a US journalist's question about falling approval ratings and the war in Ukraine by arguing that controlling the Donbas and making a deal are not mutually exclusive. He claimed Russian forces are advancing along the entire line of contact, citing Ukrainian personnel losses of about 40,000 per month, 60,000 deserters this year, and 2.2 million desertion cases. He said Russia controls all of the Luhansk People's Republic, about 85% of the Donetsk People's Republic, and 80% of the Zaporozhye region, with recent territorial gains of about 2,440 square kilometers. He acknowledged Western drones sometimes penetrate Russian air defenses but asserted Russia has a superior integrated air defense system and strike capabilities. He emphasized Russian patriotism and a strengthening domestic military-scientific base. He expressed readiness for a peaceful agreement based on a compromise discussed with President Trump in Anchorage, contingent on Ukrainian acceptance.

Key takeaways

  1. Putin said controlling the whole Donbas and striking a deal are not mutually exclusive, and Russia is ready for a compromise discussed with Trump in Anchorage.
  2. Russia has captured about 2,440 square kilometers of territory recently and controls 85% of Donetsk, 80% of Zaporozhye, and all of Luhansk.
  3. Ukraine loses about 40,000 servicemen monthly, with 60,000 deserters this year and 2.2 million desertion cases initiated.
  4. Russia's air defense system is effective but needs modernization; Ukraine lacks a unified system and has no comparable strike capabilities.
  5. Russian patriotism and a strengthening domestic military-scientific base are key to achieving all goals of the special military operation.

Numbers and commitments

FigureWhat it refers toTypeAt
100,000 people drop in Ukrainian armed forces personnel numbers metric 2:31
40,000 people monthly Ukrainian losses on battlefields metric 2:31
15 to 16,000 people monthly compulsory mobilization in Ukraine metric 2:31
14,000 people monthly return of Ukrainian servicemen from hospitals metric 2:31
10,000 people net monthly loss of Ukrainian personnel metric 2:31
20,000 people monthly deserters in Ukraine metric 2:31
60,000 people deserters in Ukraine this year metric 2:31
2,200,000 cases desertion cases initiated in Ukraine metric 2:31
2,440 square kilometers territory captured by Russian forces recently metric 4:48
85% of Donetsk People's Republic under Russian control metric 4:48

Chapters

  1. 0:00Response to US journalist's question
  2. 2:31Ukrainian personnel losses and mobilization
  3. 4:48Territorial gains and control in Donbas
  4. 7:11Patriotism and military-scientific base

Questions asked in this interview

1
  1. 0:13Given this, is it still logical to pursue your war aim of controlling the whole of the Donbas region, or are you ready to make a deal?
Moderator 0:00 ↗
James Jordan, representative of the US, the Associated Press agency, please. Please be as generous as you can.

2 more exchanges in this transcript

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Cite this transcript

APA, MLA, BibTeX
APA

Putin, V. (2026, June 4). WATCH: Putin Responds To US Journo Over Falling 'APPROVAL RATINGS' & Donbass [Interview transcript]. Times Now World. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1279690/

MLA

Vladimir Putin. "WATCH: Putin Responds To US Journo Over Falling 'APPROVAL RATINGS' & Donbass." Times Now World, 4 Jun. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1279690/.

BibTeX 
@misc{putin2026_1279690,
  author       = {Vladimir Putin},
  title        = {WATCH: Putin Responds To US Journo Over Falling 'APPROVAL RATINGS' \& Donbass},
  howpublished = {Interview transcript, Times Now World. CEOInterviews.AI},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = {jun},
  url          = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1279690/},
  note         = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}