Kremlin says Carlson did not give interview questions to Putin
2 Min Read
The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the President "never" collects questions before interviews and that there is "professional reluctance to publish the interview given to Carlson."
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In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, President Vladimir Putin (R) gives an interview to US talk show host Tucker Carlson on February 6, 2024.(AFP)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov revealed Friday that Tucker Carlson did not plan his questions for an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in advance.
On Thursday, American journalist Tucker Carlson aired his interview with Putin, marking the first occasion of a Western journalist conducting such an interview since the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
Ep. 73 The Vladimir Putin Interview pic.twitter.com/67YuZRkfLL
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 8, 2024
The interview lasted more than two hours and covered a variety of themes such as the Ukraine crisis, the Nord Stream sabotage, the Russia-NATO relationship, artificial intelligence, and more.
Peskov told reporters that the President "never" collects questions before interviews and that there is "professional reluctance to publish the interview given to Carlson."
Peskov expressed that the most "important thing" for the Russian president has always been the "reaction of our people, our readers and listeners."
Carlson, who departed from Fox News after a 14-year career and launched his own YouTube show, recently garnered attention when he announced his intention to interview Putin. This decision prompted strong criticism from the Western mainstream media and the US government.
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Peskov also stated that there were no attempts to reach Putin through diplomatic channels following the interview.
When asked who supplied translation assistance during the conversation, Peskov stated that the Kremlin's official interpreter and one hired by the Carlson both contributed.
A representative for Moscow's emergency services informed Sputnik that no suspicious objects had been discovered at the Four Seasons Hotel Moscow after anonymous threats were made against Carlson, who was staying there during his visit.
"On Thursday evening, an unknown person called Russian emergency number, 102, demanding that the journalist be arrested, or there will be an explosion at a hotel where he was staying," the spokesperson reported, detailing that after evacuating the hotel it was a false alarm.
The interview has received over 117 million views on X and 5.9 million views on YouTube so far.
