Putin tells Tucker Carlson deal can be reached to free jailed US reporter Evan Gershkovich

By GoodNewsDaily Crew

Conservative US media figure Tucker Carlson recently aired a controversial interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The over two-hour-long video was recorded in Moscow on Tuesday, as revealed by Carlson.

This marks the first instance of the Russian leader engaging with a Western journalist since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The interview commenced with Carlson querying Putin about his rationale behind ordering the invasion of Ukraine. “Tell us why you believe the United States might strike Russia out of the blue,” Carlson inquired. “How did you conclude that?”

In response, Putin, speaking through a translator, clarified, “It’s not that America, the United States, was going to launch a surprise strike on Russia. I didn’t say that. Are we having a talk show or a serious conversation?”

Putin then delved into a detailed discussion on history, tracing back to the inception of the Russian state in the 9th Century.

Before the interview, Carlson asserted that “not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview” Putin since 2022. However, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov countered, telling the BBC, “Mr. Carlson is not correct, and he couldn’t have known that. We receive a lot of requests for interviews with the president.”

Despite numerous interview requests from Western reporters, including those from BBC’s Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg, the Kremlin has consistently ignored all of the BBC’s inquiries.

Russian state media extensively covered Carlson’s visit, showcasing footage of his various excursions to restaurants and a trip to watch the Spartacus ballet at the Bolshoi Theater.