Tucker Carlson holds the distinction of being the first Western journalist to interview Putin since the Ukraine war

Correspondent in Moscow

Haunted by Russian television since his arrival in Moscow, hyped like a rock star, Sulfur Tucker Carlson has been making more headlines since he revealed an open secret on Tuesday evening, particularly on his banned X account in Russia: his trip was aimed at none other than There is a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Their ad – a video with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior as a backdrop – was viewed 54 million times in a few hours.

The meeting was recorded on Tuesday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday morning. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, added, cryptically, that there would be an interview “Published as it is ready”. Some time ago, the press pool of the Russian presidency clarified that the interview will be broadcast on Thursday at 6 pm (Washington time), on the website of Tucker Carlson, as well as on the platform owned by Elon Musk.

According to blogger Alex Jones, who spoke to the former headliner about it Fox NewsThe interview lasts two hours and “Would be epic” – Even though observers in Moscow are skeptical about possible announcements by Vladimir Putin, who has already spoken extensively on Russian channels about Ukraine and his relations with the West. The fact is that, this time, this enormous publicity stunt is intended for the American public, and directly serves the interests of the Trump camp, close to which is Tucker Carlson.

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“Interview Unnerves Western Censors Who Keep Americans in the Dark”Blogger Alex Jones says, repeating Carlson’s arguments in his ad, according to Americans “Don’t know the reality of what is happening in Russia and Ukraine”. Why did he come to Russia? “To anger the United States”gives the answer Moscow Times Interlocutor close to the Kremlin, on condition of anonymity. “Carlson’s access to the American public during a period of bitter conflict between Biden and Trump is an opportunity to again exert this famous influence on American elections, given the interviewer’s enormous audience”A Russian official also said Moscow Times. For another source close to the Kremlin, cited in the same article, “It’s about spoiling the mood of the people around the American president: ‘You didn’t expect this? But we can do it. Crap, Joe!'”.

Visit the star

Seen leaving the official building on Monday, photographed at the Bolshoi Theater during a performance of Spartacus, Tucker Carlson gleefully played a game of cat and mouse with the Russian media. “Is the interview already recorded?”A reporter asks him Rhea Novosti, one of the federal channels closest to the Kremlin. “You are a state agency, you should know», the concerned person answered with a smile and added that he was going to drink coffee. “No Americans Today”Histrionic would have joked a few times later, even though this a joke Not confirmed.

Judging by the avalanche of funny “posts” on Russian networks, no one seems to be fooled by the bias of the person who claimed in his announcement on Tuesday that it did not occur. “Not for the love of Putin, but for the love of the United States”. “Any question about the war in Ukraine will be a question about the United States on the eve of the American election.” Former journalist of independent television channel Ilya Chapline believes Dodged, who left Russia. He recalls that when Tucker Carlson visited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last summer, he showed himself. “Elite Mic Holder”. “There wasn’t just one awkward question, but they both said over and over: It would be great if Trump was president again!” Ilya underlines the chaplain.

The boast of a man who draped his status as a “journalist”, claiming that his colleagues did not bother interviewing the Russian president, caused a backlash. The Kremlin leader’s last interview with foreign media was in October 2021. However, as recalled by the BBC’s Steven Rosenberg, one of Moscow’s most respected correspondents, he was addressed with numerous requests. “The only suspense is whether Tucker will refrain from questioning Putin about the fate of an American citizen currently detained in an FSB (Russian security services, editor’s note) prison for nearly a year. ‘No evidence has been presented publicly,'” Journalist Ilya Chapline believes. Journalist Ivan Gershkovich, The Wall Street JournalImprisoned in Russia since last March, accused of espionage.