Although Fox News host Tucker Carlson briefly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, he once again started pushing the Kremlin's narratives about the conflict on Tuesday night when he talked with Ret. Col. Doug Macgregor, who has consistently urged Ukrainians to surrender to Russian forces.
As The Daily Beast's Julia Davis reports, Russian state TV on Wednesday jumped at the clips of Macgregor talking with Carlson, and broadcast them widely as a tactic to "demoralize" Ukrainians.
In particular, Davis writes that Russian state TV shows have been particularly enamored with a clip of Macgregor predicting certain death for Ukrainians who don't lay down their arms.
"What is happening now is the battle in Eastern Ukraine is really almost over, all the Ukrainian troops there have been largely surrounded and cut off... and if they don't surrender in next 24 hours, I suspect the Russians will ultimately annihilate them," Macgregor said this week. "The game is over."
Russian TV host Vladimir Soloviev, who lost access to two Italian villas as a result of the massive sanctions leveled against the country, praised Macgregor for toeing the Kremlin's line.
"Macgregor is expressing his tough position on Ukraine, will he also be sanctioned by the European Union?" he asked rhetorically. "He is de facto justifying Russia's actions."
