Controversial right-wing journalist Tucker Carlson said that he will soon conduct an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirming recent rumours.
It will be the first time Mr. Putin Western media have interviewed him since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.
In a video shared on X, Mr. Carlson & Who was fired from Fox News In April last year, he was a staunch supporter of Putin – and said he was giving the interview to “inform” Americans.
“No Western journalist bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict, Vladimir Putin,” he said, a claim that has since been rejected by journalists covering Russia.
Alsou Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and Ivan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, are currently detained in Russia.
Mr. Carlson said there were “dozens” of interviews with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskywhich he described as “sycophantic pep sessions” to amplify his demands for greater US involvement.
He added: “Americans have the right to know about the war in which they are involved.”
He said that the war in Ukraine is a “humanitarian catastrophe” that has changed long-standing political and commercial realities around the world.
“However, the population of English-speaking countries seems mostly unaware, they believe that nothing has really changed, and they believe that because no one has told them the truth,” he added.
“Their media is corrupt. They lie to their readers and viewers, and they do so mostly by omission.”
Tucker Carlson publicly supported Donald Trump in his campaign. Photo: AP
He added: “We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin… We do not encourage you to agree with what Putin might say in this interview, but we encourage you to watch it.”
“You should know as much as you can.”
It is not clear when Putin's interview will take place, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday declined to comment on whether there was an upcoming interview.
Carlson said he also requested an interview with Zelensky.
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Who is Tucker Carlson? The Fox News host is known for his controversial stances
Conspiracy theories
on him Fox News On the show, Carlson would often espouse conspiracy theories and far-right issues.
He has repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of Covid vaccines and compared mandates to “Nazi experiments.”
While he was a hit with viewers, his inflammatory comments prompted some advertisers to distance themselves from the show.
In 2018, he said immigrants would make the United States “poorer and dirtier,” prompting an advertiser boycott.
He left Fox News after parent company Fox Corp settled a defamation suit brought by Dominion — in which Mr. Carlson starred — for nearly $800 million.
Dominion Voting Systems alleged in its lawsuit that Mr. Carlson allowed debunked claims about election fraud to be aired about the voting technology company on his show.
In the letters disclosed as part of the lawsuit, Carlson acknowledged that the allegations of voter fraud were baseless.
He also said he hates the former president “with a passion.” Donald Trump – He departed from his speech in the show.
