Former Fox News host and political commentator Tucker Carlson confirmed he interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We’re in Moscow tonight. We’re here to interview the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. We’ll be doing that soon,” Carlson said.

“Why I’m interviewing Vladimir Putin,” Carlson posted to X.

WATCH:

According to Newsweek, European Union lawmakers may target Carlson for conducting the interview with Putin.

Per Newsweek:

Carlson’s work in Russia could see the former Fox News host in hot water with the EU, Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian Prime Minister and current member of the European Parliament, told Newsweek.

The lawmaker—who has called for the EU to explore imposing a “travel ban” on Carlson—described Carlson as “a mouthpiece” of former President Donald Trump and Putin, adding: “As Putin is a war criminal and the EU sanctions all who assist him in that effort, it seems logical that the External Action Service examine his case as well.”

Newsweek contacted the Tucker Carlson Network by email to request comment on Wednesday morning. This article will be updated if a response is received.

Explaining his motive for the interview, Carlson said in a video statement on Tuesday: “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now.”

“We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin….We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can.”

The EU’s External Action Service (EAS) is the bloc’s diplomatic arm, responsible for foreign policy. For an individual to be added to the EU’s sanctions list, evidence must be presented to the EAS for review. If deemed sufficient, the EAS can then present the case to the European Council—the body made up of EU national leaders—which takes the final decision on whether to impose sanctions.

WATCH:

The Moscow Times wrote:

Earlier on Tuesday, The Moscow Times, citing multiple sources close to the Kremlin, reported that Russian authorities hope to use Carlson’s visit to influence American public opinion given his reach among conservative voters in the U.S., but also to boost Putin’s image among Russians as he seeks re-election for a fifth term in office.

“Access to an American audience through Carlson during the heated struggle between Biden and Trump is again an opportunity to exert that proverbial influence on the U.S. election, given Carlson’s huge audience,” a Russian official told The Moscow Times.

Later on Wednesday, the Kremlin confirmed the American pundit had interviewed Putin the day before.

“[Tucker Carlson’s] views differ from those of the rest,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

“They’re not at all pro-Russian, they’re not pro-Ukrainian. Rather, they’re pro-American,” he said.

Russian state media, including the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda TV channel, pro-Kremlin TV celebrities and Telegram news channels have been diligently reporting on the former Fox News star’s stay in Moscow since he arrived on Thursday.

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