Kremlin said interview was granted because Carlson was neither pro-Russian or pro-Ukrainian, unlike, it said, other western media
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Kremlin says. The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin granted an interview to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. This marks the first time Putin has been interviewed by Western media since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began nearly two years ago.
Confirmed Details:
- Interview took place: Tuesday, February 6, 2024
- Interviewer: Tucker Carlson, former Fox News host and current host of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Fox Nation
Here are some key points to consider:
- Context: The interview comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- Reactions: The news has generated a range of reactions, with some criticizing the decision for potentially giving Putin a platform and others viewing it as an opportunity for a different perspective.
Moscow confirms Putin interview with Tucker Carlson
The interview was likely to be aired on Thursday, according to Russia’s Tass news agency, citing reports by the Wall Street Journal.
Speculation had been growing for days that Carlson, who was dumped by Fox last year for “getting too big for his boots”, had traveled to the Russian capital to meet Putin, whose reasons for invading Ukraine he says should be heard by the American public.
But his visit, which reportedly has included visits to the Bolshoi ballet and dining in fine restaurants, has drawn accusations that he is acting as a propaganda tool for Putin, whom he has frequently defended. Russian media, meanwhile, have hailed Carlson as a celebrity “who speaks the truth”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed western media no longer tried to appear impartial in their reporting of Russia, and said the Kremlin had no appetite to communicate directly with primary media organisations.
“When it comes to the countries of the collective west, the large network media, TV channels, [and] large newspapers can in no way boast of even trying to at least look impartial in terms of coverage,” Peskov said.
“These are all media outlets that take an exceptionally one-sided position. Of course, there is no desire to communicate with such media, and it hardly makes sense, and it is unlikely that it will be useful.”
When asked directly why Putin granted an interview to Carlson, Peskov said of the former Fox News host: “His position is different from the others. It is in no way pro-Russian, it is not pro-Ukrainian – it is pro-American, but at least it contrasts with the position of the traditional Anglo-Saxon media,” Peskov said.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday afternoon, Carlson portrayed the upcoming interview as a chance for the American public to see the “truth” of the Ukraine war, against a backdrop of what he claimed, without offering any evidence, are a succession of lies told by western media outlets. He said the interview will be on his own website and posted “uncensored” by the X owner, Elon Musk.