Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been spotted in Moscow, where he reportedly spent an hour at the Kremlin, sparking rumors that he might interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson, who now hosts a right-wing talk show on X, arrived in Moscow last Thursday and was seen attending a ballet performance at the Bolshoi Theatre on Saturday. On Monday, Russian state media aired footage of him leaving the Kremlin, where Putin’s office is located.
The Kremlin has declined to confirm or deny whether Carlson met with Putin or whether an interview is planned. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said on Monday that he had “nothing to announce” regarding the president’s interviews with foreign media.
Carlson has been a vocal supporter of Putin and his military aggression against Ukraine, often echoing the Kremlin’s propaganda and blaming the West for the conflict. He has also dismissed the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election as a hoax and praised Putin as a “great leader”.
Carlson recently claimed that he had tried to interview Putin before, but was “stopped” by the US government. He told a Swiss magazine that he wanted to hear Putin’s voice and ask him questions that other journalists would not.
Carlson’s possible interview with Putin would be controversial, as the US and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia and condemned its invasion of Ukraine, which has killed thousands of people and displaced millions more. The US has also accused Russia of cyberattacks, human rights violations, and spreading disinformation.
Carlson’s visit to Moscow comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, as the war in Ukraine continues and the diplomatic relations deteriorate. Some analysts have suggested that Carlson’s interview with Putin could be used by the Kremlin as a propaganda tool to undermine the US and its allies.
