Tucker Carlson hailed his conversation with Putin as “historic,” but the dictator instead gave him an overview of fake Russian history, including misinformation about Ukraine’s denazification and the NATO-led conflict.
In other words, the standard Russian propaganda justifying the invasion, which the entire world has been hearing for years.
What Putin said in the interview with Carlson was nothing we hadn’t heard before and nothing that made it worthwhile for the scandalous host to fly from the United States to Moscow. Nothing new. The same Kremlin propaganda and distortion of history that few people are interested in.
Putin’s top 5 fakes in the interview with Carlson
- The purpose of the so-called “special military operation” is “to eradicate all neo-Nazi movements.”
- The Poles invented the name “Ukraine.”.
- Lenin and Stalin created Ukraine as an artificial state.
- The entire left bank of the Dnipro River, including Kyiv, is historical Russian land.
- The Ukrainians started the war in 2014.
Lies about the war: Once again, Putin repeated the thesis that the purpose of the so-called “special operation” in Ukraine is mythical denazification. The truth is, “neo-Nazism in Ukraine” is an invention of Russian propaganda. In this way, the Kremlin is trying to present Ukraine as a legitimate target for aggression and to justify its war and terror against Ukrainians.
The lie about the name. Most Ukrainian scholars support the theory that “Ukraine” derives from the cognates of the Ukrainian words “country” or “land,” where “u” signifies “native” or “own.” The first mention of the word “Ukraine” in chronicles dates back to the 12th century, when the modern Ukrainian lands were not part of the Polish state and Moscow did not yet exist.
Once again, Putin repeated the standard propaganda manipulation, falsely attributing the foundation of Ukraine to Vladimir Lenin and emphasizing Stalin’s role. The Ukrainian national movement, along with Poland, Lithuania, Georgia, and even Russia itself as a republic, founded the modern Ukrainian state, not Lenin and Stalin.
In addition, in the 17th century, Ukraine had a Cossack state, and in the 8th and 12th centuries, Kyivan Rus, centered in Kyiv, existed when Moscow did not yet exist.
Putin’s manipulation targeting the US audience
Manipulation: The US needs to “just negotiate with Russia” and the war will end. The Russian president manipulated the idea that “Americans have nothing to do.” He mentioned the border with Mexico and “problems with migration and the national debt” of the United States.
In fact, the Russian Federation and Putin systematically violate all agreements and refuse to fulfill international agreements signed by the Russian leadership. The Russians violated approximately 400 international agreements by carrying out an all-out war against Ukraine.
To reach a deal with Russia at the expense of Ukraine is to free Putin’s hands for an even bigger and more terrible war in Europe and on other continents.
Carlson forgot to ask Putin “tough questions”
The former Fox News anchor promised to ask the dictator “tough questions,” but in 120 minutes he did not find an opportunity to talk to Putin about Russian war crimes in Ukrainian cities, the abduction of thousands of children, genocidal rhetoric, and the actions of the Kremlin regime.
What Carlson did not ask Putin about
- About the blocking of American social networks in Russia, including X (Twitter), where this interview was published. This is a violation of freedom of speech.
- About the abduction of Ukrainian children. The Hague Court has issued an international warrant for Putin in connection with the abduction of Ukrainian children.
- On the massacres and abuses of Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territories (Bucha, Izium) and other war crimes.
- On the deliberate bombing of residential areas and energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
- Military provocations against NATO countries are also provocations against the United States as its military ally.
“Putin repeated the old lies, distortions, and manipulations” – European Commission
European Commission spokesperson Nabila Massrali called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interview with former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson false and manipulative. According to her, Putin has once again demonstrated that he is not interested in real and meaningful steps toward peace.
“We did not see anything new in this interview. Putin repeated the old lies, distortions, and manipulations and demonstrated a great deal of hostility towards the West, which is not new either. We regret that Putin has effectively provided himself with a platform to manipulate and spread propaganda”
European Commission spokesperson Nabila Massrali
According to her, Putin is reinforcing well-known lies about Ukraine—dangerous lies—as he used them as a so-called justification for Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, aggressive war against Ukraine, a peaceful neighbor.
The European Commission emphasizes that this interview confirmed the fact that Putin is not interested in “genuine and meaningful steps towards peace.”
Tucker Carlson should expect EU sanctions?
Former Fox News host and commentator Tucker Carlson made a controversial interview with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on February 8. Carlson, known for his incendiary rhetoric and spreading conspiracy theories, said it was part of his “duty to inform people.”
Amid scandals and lawsuits over allegations of election fraud, Fox News fired Tucker Carlson last year. Carlson later started his own show on X, formerly Twitter.
European politicians responded by calling for consideration of a ban on Carlson’s entry into the EU. In particular, current MEP and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said that an interview with the Russian president could turn Carlson into a target for EU lawmakers. He also called the TV host “a mouthpiece for former US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.”
