Carlson Is Set to Interview Putin

"Tucker Carlson said he is interviewing Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow, making him the first member of the U.S. media to be granted an interview with Russia's president since that events in Ukraine in 2022.

Carlson, a far-right commentator and former Fox News star, said in a video posted to X that it was important to understand Putin's views given how the conflict is reshaping the world. The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in financial, humanitarian and military assistance for Ukraine.

The interview will be posted on X and TuckerCarlson.com, the website of the commentator's media startup, Carlson said. It is likely to be posted on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.

"Most Americans have no idea why the conflict in Ukraine started, or what Russia's goals are now," Carlson said in the video. "They've never heard Putin's voice. That's wrong. Americans have a right to know all they can about a conflict they're implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it because we are Americans, too."

Carlson, who had an acrimonious departure from Fox News last year, has long been an outspoken isolationist. He was one of the first and most prominent voices on the right to question U.S. support for Ukraine after the events started, and has helped shape views on Capitol Hill.

In the lead-up to the events, as the Kremlin was amassing troops on the Ukrainian border, Carlson said on Fox News: "It may be worth asking yourself, since it is getting pretty serious, what is this really about? Why do I hate Russia so much? Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he ever threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him?" 

Carlson has referred to Ukraine as a "client state" of the U.S.

Carlson late last year launched a streaming service, Tucker Carlson Network, which charges subscribers $9 a month, or $72 a year, for ad-free access to Carlson's short-form videos, interviews, monologues and documentaries. Free versions of some of Carlson's content have continued to be published on X, where the content is typically ad-supported." [1]

1. Business News: Carlson Is Set to Interview Putin. Keach Hagey; Leary, Alex; Simmons, Ann M.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 07 Feb 2024: B.3.