"He only talks to his puppets": Netizens divided over Tucker Carlson soon interviewing Putin in Russia

Tucker Carlson, the American reporter, has revealed he will "soon" interview Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. If true, it would mark the first one-on-one interview of Putin with a Western journalist since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

According to NBC, the 54-year-old posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, and his Instagram account on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, breaking the alleged interview news. He said:

"Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now...Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they’re implicated in and we have the right to tell them about it."

Netizens have given their opinions about the upcoming interaction. Some praised the news anchor for performing his job as an unbiased journalist, while some believed the interview might not happen and criticized Carlson for reportedly being on Putin's side.

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Tucker Carlson says he will interview Russian President Vladimir Putin

Tucker Carlson is the anchor of his eponymous show on the Fox News Channel. He has hosted prime-time programs on many media outlets, including CNN, PBS, and MSNBC. The conservative political commentator also cofounded The Daily Caller.

Rumors emerged last week from Pro-Kremlin media trying to track Tucker Carlson's movements around Russia’s capital Moscow. They stated that the car allegedly being used by the former MSNBC host had been spotted leaving the president’s office, as per BBC.

On Tuesday, Carlson made an announcement confirming the rumors that he was indeed about to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said in a video posted on his X account:

"There are risks to doing an interview like this, obviously, so we've thought about it over many months."

The news anchor has criticized U.S. support for the war in Ukraine and has previously praised Putin. Tucker Carlson pointed out that since the war in Ukraine began, western journalists have had meetings with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky many times but not Putin, as per The Guardian. He stated:

"We ourselves have put in a request for an interview with Zelensky. We hope he accepts, but the interviews he’s already done in the United States are not traditional interviews, they are fawning pep sessions. That is not journalism - it is government propaganda."

The interview will be on his website TuckerCarlson.com. and posted “uncensored” by the X owner, Elon Musk, at an unspecified time.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014. Vladimir Putin has not yet confirmed if there is an interview with Carlson, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Netizens gave mixed opinions on the news of the alleged upcoming interaction between Putin and Carlson:

However, some social media users believe the interview will do more harm than good.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Tucker Carlson questioned American aid for the war effort. He also claimed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was a dictator. As per NBC, back in 2022, the journalist said,

"Zelenskyy has no interest in freedom and democracy. In fact, Zelenskyy is far closer to Lenin than to George Washington. He is a dictator. He is a dangerous authoritarian who has used a hundred billion in U.S. tax dollars to erect a one-party police state in Ukraine."

As per BBC, The United Nations has claimed that Russian forces are responsible for "widespread" torture and killings in Ukraine. Russia also took over four more regions of Ukraine, after its illegal takeover of Crimea in 2014.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has since issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes and the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.