However Carlson’s monologue, during which he lambasted Western media and claimed it wasn’t making an effort to listen to Putin’s facet of the story, has sparked backlash from American and Russian journalists.
“Many journalists have interviewed Putin, who additionally makes frequent, extensively lined speeches,” wrote Anne Applebaum, an American journalist and historian, on X (previously Twitter). “Carlson’s interview is totally different as a result of he isn’t a journalist, he’s a propagandist, with a historical past of serving to autocrats conceal corruption.”
Carlson, who was ousted by Fox final yr, mentioned the interview can be printed “unedited” and “not behind a paywall” on his private web site. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday confirmed that the interview had already taken place, however didn’t share when it could air.
Whereas Western media retailers have accomplished “scores of interviews” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Carlson mentioned, “not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the opposite nation concerned on this battle, Vladimir Putin.”
“Most Individuals don’t know why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his objectives at the moment are,” he mentioned. “They’ve by no means heard his voice. That’s mistaken.”
Whereas it’s true that Carlson would be the first American to interview Putin for the reason that begin of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years in the past, journalists from main retailers in the US and Europe have been fast to level out that this isn’t for lack of attempting.