What will President Vladimir Putin take away from the Tucker Carlson interview?

The long-awaited interview between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. conservative media personality Tucker Carlson will air Thursday night, a former Fox News host said.

The Kremlin said the interview will be recorded on Tuesday and streamed on Karlsson’s website at 6pm ET (11pm GMT), as well as posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. It is said that

The high-profile sit-in was the first time a Russian leader has given interviews to Western media since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, as fighting in the country reaches a stalemate. It was held in the midst of

Karlsson has falsely claimed that “not a single Western journalist bothered to interview” Putin at the time. Indeed, countless Western reporters, including the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, have repeatedly sent interview requests to the Kremlin. All these were ignored.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov himself admitted at a press conference on Wednesday that Karlsson’s statements were wrong, telling the BBC in Moscow: “Karlson is not right, but he could never have known that.” “We have received many requests for interviews with Mr. Carlson.” president. “

But this interview is a major coup for Carlson. Carlson has bounced back quickly since his high-profile firing on Fox News last year after reportedly losing support from owner Rupert Murdoch. This allows him to pitch the new media company he launched at X last year as a major player in the media world.

This meeting is a win-win for Mr. Putin. Karlsson’s request comes at a perfect time for Russia’s longtime leader, whose media appearances are strictly planned and controlled by the Kremlin.

In the United States, attempts to pass legislation authorizing new military aid to Ukraine, widely seen as essential to continuing the war, have stalled in Congress. On Wednesday, the latest bill allocating $60 billion in vital funds to Kyiv passed the Senate, but faced stiff opposition from House Republicans.

In the absence of new military aid, Ukraine’s attempts to drive Russian forces out of the country and launch a new counterattack in the southern and eastern Donbas region have proven virtually impossible.

Some Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, remain committed to forcing a vote on new aid. But they face growing hostility from far-right members of their own party who oppose US involvement in global conflicts despite the spiraling costs of conflict.

The Kremlin hopes interviews with prominent conservative TV hosts will sensitize Republican lawmakers to Kremlin narratives that are usually only parroted in Russian domestic media. right. Carlson has also had a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about supporting Ukraine.

Mr. Carlson’s platform offers an opportunity for the Kremlin to reach a broader, potentially sympathetic and deeply conservative audience in the United States. The former Fox News host has previously launched scathing attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and criticized Putin’s move to embrace Russia’s so-called “traditional values,” including attacks on LGBT people. I’ve been along for the ride.

Kremlin spin doctors are also eyeing Europe, which would financially support Ukraine if the United States withdrew its aid.

Politics on the continent is changing. Surveys show a growing level of hesitation among Europeans about continuing aid to Ukraine. Many right-wing populist parties (including pro-Russian ones) have been successful in national elections. Other countries, including economic powerhouses such as France and Germany, have also performed well in opinion polls.

But the case also has a domestic element. Russia will hold a presidential election next week in which Mr. Putin is almost certain to win, but his only anti-war challenger was disqualified on Thursday, but the interview with Mr. Karlsson makes it clear that the Russian leader is I was able to demonstrate my position as a politician. has a global presence for his hometown audience.

Indeed, Russian state media has been treating Karlsson as a major celebrity for several days. Amid breathless coverage, state television followed the media personality’s arrival with footage of various trips to restaurants and a visit to see the Spartacus Ballet at the Bolshoi Theater.

Finally, the Russian government will closely monitor growing signs of political division within Ukraine.

President Zelenskiy announced on Thursday that he would replace General Valery Zarzhny, the military’s top commander, after rumors surfaced of a rift between the two. That will be music to Putin’s ears. His ultimate goal, other than the military conquest of Ukraine, is to overthrow Zelenskiy’s government and replace it with a pro-Russian government.

Failing that, Kremlin leaders hope that Europe and the United States will grow weary of the war and pressure Ukraine to begin negotiations to end the conflict on terms favorable to Ukraine.