Well, this month’s enemy turns out to be small, compact, and clearly botoxed. A bad cough suggests heart problems, and fidgety hands and feet suggest nervous tension (though you can still beat Joe Biden when it comes to remembering speeches) I’m sure). When I got excited about discussing the medieval politics of the Principality of Lithuania, he sneered. He sighed, as if the issue of war and peace was boring and Tucker’s questions were stupid.
He was refreshingly rude. Putin wooed Carlson, accusing Carlson’s comments of being “complicated” (i.e., misconstructed), “subtle” (dishonest), and “troublesome” (disgusting), and that Tucker When I tried to bring the conversation back to the 21st century, he became more patronizing. It was suggested that more dates be provided.
We learned nothing new about Putin’s worldview other than that it is shockingly boring. That Ukraine and Russia were once inseparable, that the Soviet Union created a false state, that NATO has attempted to colonize, yada yada. Carlson sat there looking exhausted, leading us to speculate how a less sober interviewer might have handled the topic (like Oprah Winfrey saying, “I heard you’re gay”). What kind of man would fall in love with you?” she would have interrupted.
Carlson questioned Putin at length about imprisoned journalist Evan Gershkovitch. There were also some interesting exchanges about religion – Putin’s faith feels more Russian than Orthodox – and an amusing insinuation that Boris Johnson single-handedly destroyed peace talks ( “Where is he now?” Putin asked, but this is my question (which certainly Boris asks himself on a regular basis).