Russia was concerned that Tucker Carlson would be persecuted for his interview with Vladimir Putin said Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov as reported by TASS news agency.
Though Tucker Carlson may be having a hard time in the West after interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin, that interview has added to the US journalist’s popularity, Peskov said.
"Given that the collective West is becoming increasingly unpredictable, <…> of course, there were certain concerns that poor Carlson would be persecuted even prior to the interview. As I understand, he is having a hard time now, too. But, on the other hand, I think, being quite a smart person, he must have foreseen that it would stir such a strong buzz. And it’s fair to say, this interview has added much to his popularity," Peskov said in an excerpt from an interview with the Moscow. Kremlin, Putin TV show that was posted by reporter Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel.
Carlson released his interview with Putin early on February 9. The Russian president mostly commented on the conflict in Ukraine and Russia’s relations with the US, NATO and the West in general. The journalist himself said earlier that his attempt to interview Putin last year was thwarted by the US government.