Tucker Carlson, a former anchor at Fox News, recently revealed that he had interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin. This news has been met with criticism from various journalists who fear that the Kremlin may exploit the interview for propaganda.

On X, Carlson shared a video where he expressed his desire to interview the long-standing Russian leader, stating that it is important for Americans to have access to information about a war they are involved in.

In March, Russia will have its presidential elections, and it is highly anticipated that Putin will emerge as the winner. According to Mikhail Rubin, deputy editor-in-chief of Proekt Media, Putin most likely agreed to the interview with Carlson to benefit his campaign.

Rubin explained to VOA that Carlson must realize his role in the presidential election campaign and how he is unintentionally aiding Putin.

Rubin stated that the interview with Carlson will probably be used to portray Moscow in a favorable manner.

Rubin emphasized the importance of demonstrating Putin’s openness and the ability for American journalists to operate in Russia, as it is a country that values freedom and open communication.

However, according to Rubin, this story is clearly untrue. Rubin left the country in 2021 due to concerns for their safety.

Rubin, who currently resides in Washington, expressed that if he were to travel to Russia, he believes he would be detained the following day. He also expressed uncertainty about ever seeing his father again.

Several Russian journalists expressed similar criticisms on social media.

Yevgenia Albats, a Russian journalist, stated that she, along with many others, had to leave their country in order to continue reporting on the Kremlin’s conflict with Ukraine. Otherwise, they would have faced imprisonment. Albats also pointed out that while she was in exile, Carlson was comfortably reporting from a luxurious suite in Moscow that cost $1,000.

Carlson faced backlash for seemingly disregarding the dire state of press freedom in Russia. This has resulted in the detainment of numerous journalists within the nation and forced others to flee their homeland.

Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for the Financial Times, expressed frustration about the lack of American journalists covering the Russian perspective on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He pointed out that two journalists, Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, are currently imprisoned for reporting on the issue.

In March 2023, Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal was detained for alleged espionage, which he, his employer, and the U.S. government have all strongly refuted.

In October 2023, Kurmasheva, an editor from VOA’s affiliated organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was arrested and is being accused of not registering as a “foreign agent” and disseminating false information about the Russian military. Both she and her employer deny the allegations.

According to information from the Committee to Protect Journalists, apart from Kurmasheva and Gershkovich, there were at least 20 other journalists who were imprisoned in Russia by the end of 2023.

According to Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, the interview was recorded on Tuesday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the interview is expected to be released on Thursday. Carlson stated that it will be broadcasted live and without any edits on X, the platform where he began hosting a show after his unexpected termination from Fox News, a conservative network, last year.

From 2016 until his termination in 2023, the right-leaning TV host had a prime-time program on Fox News. Carlson’s exit occurred shortly after Fox News agreed to pay $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems in order to resolve a defamation lawsuit regarding unfounded election allegations, some of which were spread by Carlson himself.

VOA’s email requesting comment from the Tucker Carlson Network did not receive an immediate response.

Carlson criticized American media for conducting “flattering and supportive” interviews with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then asserted that no Western journalist has made the effort to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also involved in the conflict.

Reporters utilized social media to condemn that statement, as well.

“According to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a recent post on X, Tucker believes that journalists have not been actively seeking an interview with President Putin since the invasion of Ukraine. Amanpour finds this claim ridiculous and states that they will persist in requesting an interview, as they have been doing for years.”

The assertion made by Carlson was even verified by the Kremlin.

According to the spokesperson Peskov, Mr. Carlson is incorrect and lacks the knowledge to make such a statement. The Kremlin receives numerous interview requests for Putin.

Source: voanews.com