Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson says he will soon interview Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
In a post from Moscow on X, formerly Twitter, Carlson urged Americans to tune in to learn what lay behind Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Carlson said the interview was to enable Americans to know "as much as you can" on Russia's view of the nearly two-year-old conflict with Ukraine.
But he gave no further details on when the interview would take place.
Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Tuesday on whether there was a forthcoming interview or if Carlson had visited the Russian presidential administration.
Carlson described the war in Ukraine as a "human disaster" that altered longstanding political and trade realities throughout the world and there had been wide exposure to the views expressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now," he said. "We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin....We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can."
Carlson said he had also requested an interview with Zelenskiy.
If the interview goes ahead Carlson will become the first Western journalist to interview the Russian President during the war in Ukraine.
Carlson left Fox News after nearly a decade as one of the network’s most popular and controversial hosts in April 2023.
His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, was the most popular show on the network with an estimated 3.5 million viewers and the presenter wielded considerable political influence.
Carlson launched a new subscription-based streaming video service in December to capitalise on his popularity among conservative U.S. voters.
An interview he posted on X with former president Donald Trump last August has drawn more than 267 million views, according to the social media platform.
