Kremlin confirms Putin gave interview to ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson
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Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) agreed to the Tucker Carlson interview because of his different approach, the Kremlin said.
PHOTOS: REUTERS
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MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin granted an interview to United States television host Tucker Carlson on Feb 6, the Kremlin said. It’s his first to an American journalist since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Putin had agreed to the Carlson interview because the approach of the former Fox News host differed from the “one-sided” reporting of the Ukraine conflict by many Western news outlets.
“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,” Mr Peskov said in a regular news briefing on Feb 7.
“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.”
Asked directly why Mr Carlson had landed an interview with Mr Putin, Mr Peskov said the American journalist’s approach was “in no way pro-Russian, it is not pro-Ukrainian – it is pro-American”.
The interview is likely to be aired on Feb 8, Russia’s Tass news agency said, citing reports by The Wall Street Journal.
Mr Putin, who ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022, was last formally interviewed by a US media outlet in October 2021, when then CNBC journalist Hadley Gamble spoke to him, though he has since spoken to Russian, Chinese and Kazakh media.
Many Western media organisations have left Moscow or shuttered their operations due to onerous media laws passed shortly after the war.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, was detained on spying charges in March 2023.
Mr Carlson said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Feb 6 that the interview would enable Americans to understand Russia’s view of the war.
“We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin... We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can,” he said.
Mr Putin says he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine to safeguard Russia’s national security against what he casts as a hostile West.
Kyiv and its Western allies say it is an unprovoked war of aggression and imperial-style land grab.
Mr Carlson, who has said much Western media coverage of the war is biased in favour of Kyiv, said he had also asked Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for an interview. REUTERS
