EU not currently discussing sanctions on Tucker Carlson
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Tucker Carlson interviewed the Russian President in what he called an opportunity for the American public to witness "the truth behind the war in Ukraine."
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Tucker Carlson, host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight," poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio on March 2, 2017, in New York.
According to European Commission foreign affairs and security policy spokesman Peter Stano the European Union has not discussed sanctioning former Fox host Tucker Carlson for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
US journalist Tucker Carlson interviewed Putin on February 6, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday.
"Yes, I can confirm this," Peskov told reporters when asked if Putin was interviewed on Tuesday.
The official dismissed the alleged transcript of Putin's interview with Carlson published online as an absolute fake.
However, his visit has sparked accusations that he is serving as a propaganda tool for Putin. Russian media, on the other hand, have celebrated Carlson as a celebrity who bravely speaks the truth.
Newsweek cited Guy Verhofstadt, a member of the European Parliament and former prime minister of Belgium saying Wednesday that the EU may apply penalties on Carlson for his interview.
"Currently there is no such proposal nor discussion in the relevant EU bodies regarding the specific person you mention," Stano told RIA Novosti.
Stano detailed the internal and confidential nature of sanctions, emphasizing that such sanctions are reviewed regularly, and if member states decide that more people or entities should be listed for "activities in support of the war against Ukraine or for activities undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, they can decide about a new listing."
"These decisions are adopted by unanimity," Stano emphasized, noting that the EU has sanctioned close to 2,000 individuals for "participating in or supporting the illegal aggression against Ukraine," including people accused of being "propagandists" against Ukraine.
Later on Wednesday, Stano stated that the EU had no comment on any forthcoming sanctions against Carlson because the interview had not yet been broadcast.
The former Fox News host confirmed that he was in Moscow to interview Putin, expressing his intention to broadcast his conversation with Russia's President as a response to what he characterized as pro-Ukraine "fawning pep sessions."
Speculation had been circulating for several days that Carlson, who was dismissed by Fox last year allegedly for "getting too big for his boots," had journeyed to the Russian capital to meet Putin. The journalist asserted that Putin's reasons for the military operation in Ukraine deserve to be heard by the American public.
'Witness the truth'
In a Tuesday afternoon post to X, Carlson framed the forthcoming interview as an opportunity for the American public to witness the truth behind the war in Ukraine, contrasting it with what he called a series of falsehoods propagated by Western media outlets.
Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024
In a four-minute video recorded in Moscow and previewing the interview, Carlson stated, "Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now." He indicated that the full interview will be available on his website and will be posted "uncensored" by X's owner, Elon Musk, at a yet-to-be-specified time.
He said “You’ve never heard his voice. That’s wrong. Americans have a right to know all we can about a war they’re implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it,” adding that Western governments will try to censor the video because "they are afraid of information they can't control."
