Ukraine

Tucker Carlson Releases Putin Interview

FEB 9 2024·Updated AUG 24

Story

Image credit: President of the Russian Federations via Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

American political commentator Tucker Carlson on Thursday released a 127-minute interview from Moscow with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin.
tuckercarlson.com
Putin began with a roughly 25-minute speech on the history of Russia and Ukraine. He claimed Kyiv had been one of two original "centers of power" of Russia in the eighth century while alleging that the term "Ukrainian" didn't refer to "any particular ethnic group" but rather someone "living on the outskirts" of Polish-Lithuanian territory partly reclaimed by Russia in the 17th century.
President of Russia
Putin continued that "Soviet Ukraine" had been established in 1922 by the USSR, and described the country as an "artificial state" that had been "given a great deal of territory that had never belonged to it." Putin accused the West of ignoring the post-Soviet agreements against NATO expansion, arguing it hadn't been "welcomed into the brotherly family of 'civilized nations.'"
tuckercarlson.com
Putin also claimed he had discussed joining NATO with former US Pres. Bill Clinton in 2000; that former Ukrainian Pres. Viktor Yanukovych assumed power through a US-supported coup; the CIA did not have an "alibi" for the Nord Stream sabotage; the US "controls all the world's media"; and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had "dissuaded" Ukraine from signing a peace agreement in Istanbul.
President of Russia
Regarding the future of the war, Putin suggested it would "be better" for Ukraine to "negotiate with Russia," appearing to call on the US to support such a move. He also said he had "no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else," referring to claims that he wanted to expand the war. As for US journalist Evan Gershkovich's current imprisonment in Russia, he said, "The dialogue continues."
The New York Times
As of Friday afternoon, the interview had been seen over 143M times on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, with over 840K likes and more than 230K retweets.
X

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The Spin

Narrative A

By choosing to interview Putin, Carlson exhibited a journalistic value regularly lost to the mainstream editorial elite: a dedication and duty to platform all individuals for the benefit of readers and watchers worldwide, regardless of bias and ideology. Tucker's interview was historic and will provide the public with a greater foundation to be informed from all perspectives concerning an event of global importance.

Daily Caller

Narrative B

Tucker Carlson's time with the Russian president shouldn't be considered journalism but rather an embarrassing publicity stunt promoting dishonesty and unjustified flattery at the expense of truth and the protection of democracy. Carlson rejected the opportunity to ask tough questions to one of the world's most violent dictators, instead prioritizing sensationalism for personal profit.