Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced his discontent with the interview conducted by Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host known for his distinctive viewpoints. Carlson traveled to Moscow for the interview, which aired on his website on Tuesday, February 8, 2024.
In a conversation with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, President Vladimir Putin expressed his initial expectation of a confrontational exchange with Tucker Carlson. Putin admitted, “Honestly, I expected him to be more confrontational and pose tough questions.” He added, “I was not only ready for that but also welcomed it, as it would have allowed me to answer in kind.” However, the interview did not meet Putin’s anticipations, resulting in his disappointment with the outcome.
The interview, which stands out as Putin’s first with a Western journalist since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, provided a platform for the Russian President to articulate his country’s historical perspective and current geopolitical stance, particularly in relation to Ukraine and NATO.
The conversation, extensively covered by multiple sources, including Kremlin official releases and international news outlets, delved into the complex history of Ukraine’s relationship with Russia, tracing back to the 9th-century establishment of Kievan Rus’, a state and later a group of principalities in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.
Putin provided an elaborate historical context, touching on Ukraine’s gradual integration under Polish and later Soviet control, and discussed the incorporation of territories that were historically not part of Ukraine, such as the Black Sea region. He emphasized the artificial creation of Soviet Ukraine and its subsequent inclusion in the USSR, leading up to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s independence.
Throughout, Putin emphasized a sense of historical, cultural, linguistic, and religious kinship between the Russian and Ukrainian peoples, which, he argued, laid the groundwork for an expected continuation of amicable relations post-independence.
He articulated his grievances regarding NATO’s expansion eastward and the alliance’s 2008 declaration that Ukraine could join, viewing it as a direct threat to Russian security and an example of the West’s failure to treat Russia as an equal partner since the Soviet Union’s collapse. He criticized the West’s support for separatism within Russia and opposed propositions for joint missile defense systems, painting a picture of a Western bias against Russia’s geopolitical interests.
During the interview, Putin also seized the opportunity to address broader issues, including NATO’s promises and the potential for Russia’s inclusion in the alliance—a topic previously broached in conversations with former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
He suggested a prisoner exchange to free detained journalist Evan Gershkovich and labeled U.S. military support of Ukraine as a provocation.
Critics and observers have highlighted the nature of Tucker Carlson’s engagement with Putin, noting the interview’s lack of challenging questions and its tendency to allow Putin to dominate the conversation with long, historical expositions. This approach has led to critiques of Carlson as facilitating a platform for Russian propaganda, especially given his history of espousing views seen as favorable to Russian perspectives.