Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson announced on Tuesday that he had secured an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he plans to publish soon. The interview will be the first by a Western journalist with the Russian president since his country’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent war between the two countries. The Kremlin confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday.
“We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview,” Carlson said in a video posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “But we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can. And then, like a free citizen and not a slave, you can decide for yourself.”
Where to watch the Tucker Carlson interview with Putin
Justin Wells, head of programming at Carlson’s streaming network, says the interview will be posted on X on Thursday. It is unclear what was said during the interview.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, told reporters that Carlson was chosen for the interview because “he has a position that differs” from other English-language media outlets.
During his four-minute statement, Carlson chastised the American media and government for their blind support of Ukraine’s war effort.
Carlson has long been critical of the United States’ involvement in the conflict, as well as the Ukrainian government and president, Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he claims to have requested an interview.
Speaking from what appeared to be an elevated balcony in Moscow, Carlson acknowledged the “risks to interviewing this” and stated that he and his crew paid for their trip to Moscow themselves, with no financial assistance from government groups.
Carlson, a former Fox News pundit, was removed from the network’s airwaves last spring and has since launched his own media company and new X program.
He stated that Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform, has promised not to “censor” or suppress the interview with Putin in any way, and that it will not be hidden behind a paywall.