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I have seen an alleged transcript of the interview.

If it was faked, it’s a very good fake because Putin’s phrasings are consistent with previous Q&A and in a subtle way, not just copy and pasting from his previous talks.

There was a do you have cancer question and the reply was — I can assure you I do not have it. If I had cancer and beat it, I would share the happy news with the world and certainly whatever the cure was that achieved it.

There was a question about plans to join with China against the US. The reply: I have an excellent relationship with Xi and we do not think in terms of the US being our military enemy. We do not think of BRICS as something we consciously created to be an opponent. In all things economic there naturally evolves counter influence to any sort of monopoly.

Do you think you have some personal popularity in the west? Reply: I personally do not. I think Russian traditional values have some attraction in the west. We believe in marriage being between a man and a woman and that men are men and women are women. But no, not me personally.

What do you think of Trump? Reply: I do not want to get into US domestic politics questions. When Trump was president I had good communications with him. I have not heard from President Biden since a congratulations phone call in 2021 about his election. None? You have not spoken since then? No, I have not spoken to President Biden since then. I think that there would be immediate communications with a President Trump. He has said he could end the war in Ukraine. I would be in favor of that.