Ousted Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson is airing his controversial interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson sat down with Putin in an interview for which he could face sanctions including a travel ban instituted by the European Union.
"Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now," Carlson told his followers on Tuesday for his reasoning behind wanting to interview the Russian leader. He posted the video statement from Moscow, Russia's capital.
"We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin....We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can."
When and How To Watch the Interview
Carlson's interview with Putin will air on Thursday February 8 at 6 p.m ET/ 3 p.m PT. It will be available to watch on his website, www.tuckercarlson.com, but not behind a paywall.
It is Putin's first interview with Western media Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they're implicated in and we have the right to tell them about it," Carlson said in his video statement.
Before the interview has even gone to air, Carlson has faced criticism for his choice from media experts and EU lawmakers.
"The host's anti-Ukraine talking points have even been celebrated by and circulated in Russian state media," watchdog Media Matters previously told Newsweek.
But Carlson explained his interview was important reporting and the world needed to hear from Putin himself.
"We're in journalism, our duty is to inform people," he said in his video which was also posted to X, formerly Twitter.
While one EU lawmaker wants to impose a travel ban on Carlson for going to Moscow and speaking to Putin.
"First of all, it should be remembered that Putin is not just a president of an aggressor country, but he is wanted by the International Criminal Court and accused of genocide and war crimes," MEP Urmas Paet, who previously served as Estonia's foreign minister, told Newsweek.
"Carlson wants to give a platform to someone accused of crimes of genocide—this is wrong. If Putin has something to say he needs to say it in front of the ICC. At the same time Carlson is not being a real journalist since he has clearly expressed his sympathy for the Russian regime and Putin and has constantly disparaged Ukraine, the victim of Russian aggression.
"So, for such propaganda for a criminal regime, you can end up on the list of sanctions. This concerns primarily travel ban to EU countries."
But the Kremlin insisted Carlson's interview was balanced and fair.
"His position is different from the others," Peskov said of Carlson on Wednesday. "It is in no way pro-Russian, it is not pro-Ukrainian, it is pro-American, but at least it contrasts with the position of the traditional Anglo-Saxon media," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Update 2/9/24, 3:32 a.m. ET. This article was updated to reflect the availability of the interview on Carlson's website.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
