2024-02-11 10:14:59
5 hours ago
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Former anchor Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin lasted more than two hours.
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a rare exclusive interview to the U.S. media, his first since Russia invaded Ukraine. Topics he discussed included the end of the war, NATO, the case of imprisoned American journalists, and his “personal relationship” with Trump.
Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson’s interview with Putin lasted for more than two hours. It was broadcast on Russian state media, Carlson’s personal website and “X” on February 8 (formerly known as Twitter), with over 85 million views.
What did this interview say, and what did Putin gain from it?
What did Putin say?
Image caption,
Putin spoke in detail about Russia’s history.
“The interview, which lasted more than two hours, was exactly as expected,” said Keir Giles, an expert on Russia and Eurasia at London think tank Chatham House.
“This platform allows Putin to tell the world a long soliloquy, explaining the world based on his crazy distortion of the past history of Russia and its neighbors,” he said. The first half hour of the interview was like a history lesson, with Putin talking almost endlessly.
Carlson opened by asking Putin if he was invading Ukraine because of concerns that the United States might launch an attack through NATO. Putin responded: “The United States will not launch a surprise attack on Russia…Are we doing a talk show or are we having a serious dialogue?” ?」
Putin continued to express dissatisfaction with NATO’s eastward expansion into areas that Russia considers its sphere of influence, saying, “We never agreed to Ukraine joining NATO.” He also called the fighting Moscow instigated in eastern Donbass a civil war and said he wanted to see the “denazification” of Ukraine, which he said was still a work in progress. Kiev has strongly refuted Russia’s claims about Nazis.
Asked about the possibility of a truce, Putin said “if you really want to stop fighting, you have to stop supplying weapons,” referring to Western aid to Kiev. “In a few weeks (the war) will be over. That’s it,” he added.
Putin also mentioned American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was detained last year on charges of espionage while working in Russia. Putin said he believed an agreement could be reached to release him “if our partners take reciprocal measures.”
Putin has strongly hinted that he wants to exchange prisoners. His reference to a Russian “patriot” who “annihilated thugs” in a European capital seemed to confirm previous reports that Russia was demanding the release of Vadim Krasikov – who was arrested He refers to a Russian agent who shot and killed a Chechen separatist in a Berlin park in 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in Germany.
When asked when he last spoke to U.S. President Biden, Putin said “I don’t remember when I talked to him” and pointed out that the last time the two spoke was before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Carlson did not mention former US President Trump by name, but Putin said “I have a very good personal relationship with Trump” and said he also liked George W Bush.
Why did Putin accept Carlson’s interview?
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Carlson was a former FOX News primetime anchor and had great influence.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin agreed to be interviewed by American journalist Carlson because his approach was different from the “biased” reporting of the conflict in Ukraine by mainstream Western media.
But historian and journalist Anne Applebaum had a different idea, writing in The Atlantic, “When Carlson speaks on Putin’s behalf, his words are heard in Hungary and It was replayed in Russia and it resonated there,” she said, adding that it was like saying: “Look, a famous American journalist supports Putin.”
Russia expert Giles agreed, saying Carlson gave Putin “a public platform for hours” that included “unverified disinformation and false claims.”
“The only thing that’s slightly surprising is that even though Carlson was trying to help Putin, he was a terrible interviewer,” he said.
Carlson, 54, is a loyal supporter of former US President Trump, who is expected to become the Republican nominee in the 2024 US presidential election.
The former Fox News host has been an outspoken defender of Putin since the war in Ukraine began, repeatedly calling the Ukrainian president a “dictator.” Although Carlson said that he also sat down with Zelensky for an interview, the purpose of interviewing Putin was because “Americans have the right to know everything about the war they are involved in.”
Before Carlson was fired by Fox News last year, he was an influential anchor of a prime-time political talk show that set the agenda for conservatives and Republicans.
Yotam Ophir, a scholar who studies disinformation at the State University of New York (SUNY), told the BBC that Carlson was delivering a “populist message” and that he often used “they” in his programs. ), and “they” often includes immigrants, members of the Black Lives Matter movement, Democrats, and the LGBTQ+ community.
“They are here to destroy you… The country you love is changing before your eyes. Only we at FOX are willing to tell the truth and fight for people’s values.”
Carlson has also promoted conspiracy theories, claiming in the past that the U.S. government secretly possesses an alien spacecraft. He has invited many well-known right-wing politicians on his personal website tuckercarlson.com and new programs on Channel X, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Argentina’s new President Javier Milei, etc. There’s Trump himself.
Speaking ahead of the launch of his new show, Carlson spoke out about his vision for modern journalism: “At the most basic level, the news you see is a lie. The most subtle and insidious kind of lie. Facts, proportions and angles are deliberately manipulated. Conceal it. You are being manipulated.”
But BBC Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford said “Putin was in complete control” of the interview and Carlson “seemed to relish” Putin’s words “rather than questioning the alleged war criminal.” The human Putin”.
Is Putin trying to influence the United States?
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America will vote to elect its next president on November 5
“It is often difficult to determine whether Kremlin propagandists are conscious agents of influence,” said Chatham House’s Giles. But he believes that “in Carlson’s case, he has often used opportunities to attack and undermine the United States and its democratic system.”
The United States will vote to elect its next president on November 5. While the jury is still out, it looks like it will be a contest between Biden, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, and Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, while Biden is the favorite to win the Democratic nomination.
Carlson is well-known in the United States, with more than 12 million followers on X. He also has a large following among Republicans, with his previous Fox News show attracting 5 million viewers at its peak.
“Carlson will seek out interviewees that responsible media won’t have access to, who will promote a range of outrageous anti-vaccine, anti-Biden or anti-Western disinformation,” Giles said.
Putin’s one-on-one interview with Western media was the first since Russia invaded Ukraine, attracting tens of millions of viewers.
It’s also big news in Russia, where journalists under Putin are severely restricted from describing the conflict in Ukraine as a war.
The Russian media’s headline coverage of Carlsen resembled Soviet-era coverage of VIPs. Even though this interview won’t directly impact the U.S. presidential election, it will certainly draw attention.
Putin and Trump’s “personal relationship”
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If Trump is elected, he could use his executive powers to reduce or even stop aid to Ukraine.
“I have a personal relationship with Trump,” Putin said in the interview, adding that he also liked Bush personally.
The interview seemed well-timed amid reports in recent months that the Kremlin had sent a message that Putin was ready to negotiate with Ukraine.
Russia expert Giles said: “In this interview, Putin and Carlson’s interests coincide. They are both talking about similar things to similar audiences. Putin needs Carlson’s audience in the United States and needs to sway them.” opinion, hoping that they will believe the argument that the United States can end the war in Ukraine.”
But Giles said this was “fake news”.
“When Putin talked about the ongoing negotiations and the options on the table for the United States to end the war, that was actually not feasible. Putin asked the United States to stop funding Ukraine, which he said would end the war in a matter of weeks, But the outcome is that Ukraine is completely destroyed, Russia becomes stronger, and then Russia looks for its next target.”
It is generally believed that it is in Putin’s interest for Trump to become the next US president.
Although the U.S. Congress has approved funding to provide tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, if Trump is elected, he can use his executive power to reduce or even stop relevant aid, as he did before when he was president.
Some Republicans were quick to condemn the idea, but if Trump is elected in November 2024, U.S. support for the war in Ukraine could end entirely.
Giles said the interview was “just one of the means to weaken the willingness of the United States and its allies to support Ukraine” and believed that “everyone involved benefited, but they benefited by undermining the interests of the United States and Western countries.” of”.
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