The two-hour, seven-minute interview, recorded on February 6th, was released in full on Thursday. This marked Putin's first interview with a Western media figure since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
During the interview, Putin reiterated his argument that Ukraine was not a legitimate country and was instead formed by the "will" of Soviet leader Josef Stalin. When Carlson suggested that jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich be allowed to return to the US as a show of "goodwill" from Putin, the Russian leader expressed his frustration with the lack of reciprocity from the West, stating that his "goodwill" had run out.
When asked why he doesn't call President Joe Biden to work out a solution in Ukraine, Putin responded, "What's there to work out? Stop supplying weapons and it will be over within weeks." He also claimed that peace talks had reached a high stage of coordination at one point and were almost finalized.
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Regarding the potential release of Evan Gershkovich, Putin stated that Russia is open to negotiations for a prisoner exchange but emphasized that the reporter was charged with espionage. He mentioned a man imprisoned in a "US-allied country" who had killed Russian soldiers during the fighting in the Caucasus. Putin suggested that the release of this individual could be part of a potential agreement.
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The Wall Street Journal reaffirmed its support for Gershkovich, stating that he is a journalist and that journalism is not a crime. The newspaper expressed hope that Russia's desire for a deal would lead to Gershkovich's rapid release and return to his family and the newsroom.
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Tucker Carlson's interview with Putin has received criticism from some, including Belgium's former prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, who described it as the "best thing that ever happened" to Putin. Verhofstadt accused Carlson of spreading lies unchallenged and unfiltered, warning that this is how democracies die.
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The majority of the interview focused on Ukraine, with Putin reiterating his claim that the invasion was necessary to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. He criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to conduct talks with the Kremlin and argued that it is up to the US to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons and convince Kyiv to negotiate.
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Since the invasion began in February 2022, Putin's forces have seized large portions of land from Ukraine and annexed the Crimean peninsula. Kyiv has stated that it will not engage in peace talks that involve giving up parts of its sovereign territory.
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During the interview, Putin denied that Evan Gershkovich was innocent of the espionage charges for which he remains imprisoned. He claimed that the journalist had obtained classified information from one of his sources in a clandestine manner and had been caught "red-handed" upon receiving the information. The Wall Street Journal and US news outlets have strongly denied any wrongdoing by Gershkovich, asserting that his activities fell within the realm of legitimate journalism.
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When asked about the Nord Stream oil pipeline explosion, which runs between Russia and Germany, Putin and Carlson quickly agreed that the CIA or another NATO agency was responsible. The attack, which occurred in September 2022 as Europe sought to reduce its reliance on Russian energy sources, added to the tensions following the start of the war. The source of the sabotage remains a major international mystery.
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