Former Fox News host and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson announced that he would interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stating that his team had been trying to secure the interview for two years.

In February, Carlson interviewed Russia’s president Putin, giving him a platform to voice Russian propaganda for the foreign audience that “Ukraine has always been a part of Russia,” “Ukraine provoked the war,” and that Russians want to “denazify” and “liberate” Ukraine.

However, Zelenskyy’s spokesperson, Sergii Nykyforov, quickly shut down the speculation, suggesting that Carlson “should check his FSB sources more carefully,” referring to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Nykyforov stated that the Ukrainian President “has a completely different schedule, and Tucker Carlson is not on it,” implying that Carlson’s claims were unfounded.

Carlson’s interview with Putin

In Carlson’s interview, Putin falsely claimed that the genocide of Ukrainians is justified to restore “historical justice.” He presented a distorted narrative of history, denying Ukraine’s sovereignty and minimizing Ukrainian culture and independence movements.

Putin spent almost 30 minutes describing his parallel version of history, starting from the 9th century until the collapse of the USSR. Tucker allowed this monologue to go on uninterrupted, airing it to his 13 million X (Twitter) followers. 15 hours after publication, it had 110 million views. 20 million people watched the interview on YouTube. 

Carlson’s platform provided an unchallenged space for Putin’s dangerous rhetoric that justifies Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine.

Carlson explained his motive for interviewing Putin, saying, “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now.”

European Parliament members urged a ban on Tucker Carlson’s entry into the EU. This unprecedented move comes as Carlson’s interview provides a platform for Putin, who is accused of war crimes and aids Russian propaganda.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant of arrest for Putin, charging him with the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia on the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

The European Commission spokesperson Nabila Massrali criticized Vladimir Putin’s interview with Tucker Carlson, stating Putin merely reiterated old propaganda about Ukraine and the West. She emphasized that “if Putin really wants to fight for the interests of the Russian people and his country, he must immediately and unconditionally withdraw his forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and respond to the enormous challenges that Russian society faces every day.”

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