LOS ANGELES.–Interviewing 71-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin, 54-year-old former Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson pulled a rabbit out of his hat, the first access granted by a Western journalist since the Feb. 24, 2022 war started. Condemned by former U.S. elected officials like Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton or former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Tucker was accused by the now retired politicians of serving Putin as a propaganda tool. Hillary accused 77-year-old President Donald Trump of serving as a “Putin puppet,” hoping it would help her 2016 campaign. When that backired and Trump became president, she criticized Trump for pandering to Putin and other dictators around the globe. Imagine that, Trump getting along with foreign adversaries is considered a bad thing for Hillary and Johnson, preferring instead today’s state of war with the Kremlin.
Carlson was kept waiting for two hours before his interview with Putin, all to control the interview, according to Western journalists familiar with Putin. CNN journalist Christianne Amanpour complained that she had sought an interview with Putin but never got the opportunity. Now Amanpour criticizes Carlson for asking softball questions. Amanpour can’t have it both ways, condemning Tucker for interviewing Putin and saying he didn’t ask tough enough questions. Why would Putin submit to any interview from any journalist if he knew if would be combative, the same kind of messaging delivered by the Russian dissident community. Putin is often criticized not allowing dissidents to undermine his authority, like 47-year-old Alexi Navalny, currently serving a 19-year prison sentence for subversion and insurrection. Amanpour would rather interview Navalny than Putin.
Carlson’s interview with Putin covered a wide range of topics, often allowing Putin to pontificate on Russian history and the global monetary system. But, unlike Amanpour and other belligerent Western journalists, Putin warmed up to Tucker, knowing his overriding ambition of opening up constructive dialogue. Putin knows that he’s been demonized in the Western press, much like Trump, unable to present his best side to a Western audience. It’s easy for Hillary to call Tucker a traitor or Amanpour to dismiss Tucker’s interview, when, in fact, Tucker pulled of the impossible because he’s open-and-fair-minded, willing to hear Putin out without putting the Russian leader on the defensive. Putin knows that 81-year-old President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress currently battle over $60 billion more to fund the proxy war against the Kremlin. Putin knows that Carlson gets his message to a wide audience.
Today’s proxy war preempts any dialogue on ways to end the conflict, with Biden and Ukraine’s 45-year-old leader Volodymyr Zelensky setting unrealistic conditions for ending the war. Putin let Carlson know he’s open to dialogue about ending the war but it must be based on mutual respect, but, more importantly, mutually benefits for all sides. Putin acknowledges that the war has morphed into the collective West trying to degrade the Russian military, something Putin said would never happen. Allowing Tucker into the Kremlin, Putin shows that he’s open to dialogue with the West as long as it’s sincere and based on mutual respect. With a new Russian election next month, Putin’s interview shows his command over the issues, but, more importantly, that he doesn’t back away from answering tough questions. Boris Johnson and Amanpour don’t think dialogue helps.
Carlson didn’t hesitate to bring up the fate of Wall Stree Journal reporte Evan Gershkovitz currently in Russian jail for espionage. Asking Putn if it would be an act of good will to return Gershkovich to his entourage, Putin said Gershkovich was caught red handed engaged in espionage or spying, collecting confidential information about Russia. Whether that’s true or not, Putin showed an openness to a deal with Gerskovitz, despite his violations of Russian law. Putin alluded to backdoor channels where U.S. and Russian negotiators are trying to find common ground on returning Gerskovich. Putin said he was open to the proper channels working toward Gershkovich’s release but it’s better to let the back-channel process go forward. Since taking office Jan. 20, 2021, Biden has demonized Putin to the point of making peace impossible in Ukraine.
Tucker risked everything, including his own arrest, traveling to Moscow to interview Putin for one good reason, to find a way out of the reckless Ukraine War. Putin knows that Carlson opposes the U.S. involvement in the war, much like Trump, because it only sets back U.S.-Russian relations. Not one U.S. elected official has admitted the damage Biden has done to U.S. foreign policy and national security. Tucker opened up an important dialogue knowing that some communication is better than no communication. Tucker was relieved to hear about U.S-Russian back channel communication on issues of common interest. With Biden funding proxy war against the Kremlin, it makes winning the release to U.S. citizens all the more complicated. White House officials ignored Carlson’s extraordinary interview, reminding voters that it’s Biden job to return to diplomacy, not war with Russia.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
