Controversial right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson says he will soon interview Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirming recent rumours.
It would be the first time Mr Putin is interviewed by Western media since the invasion of Ukraine began.
In a video shared on X, Mr Carlson – who was sacked from Fox News in April last year and has been a vocal supporter of Mr Putin – said he is doing the interview to “inform” Americans.
“Not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict, Vladimir Putin,” he said, a claim that has since been rejected by journalists covering Russia.
Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are both currently detained in Russia.
Mr Carlson said there have been “scores” of interviews with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which he described as “fawning pep sessions” to amplify his demand for greater US involvement.
“Americans have a right to know about the war they are implicated in,” he added.
He said the war in Ukraine is a “human disaster” that altered longstanding political and trade realities throughout the world.
“And yet the populations of the English-speaking countries seem mostly unaware, they think that nothing has really changed and they think that because nobody has told them the truth,” he said.
“Their media outlets are corrupt. They lie to their readers and viewers and they do that mostly by omission.”
Tucker Carlson publicly supported Donald Trump on his campaign. Pic: AP
He added: “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.”
It’s not clear when Mr Putin will be interviewed, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined on Tuesday to comment on whether there was a forthcoming interview.
Mr Carlson said he has also requested an interview with Mr Zelenskyy.
Read more:
Who is Tucker Carlson? The Fox News host known for controversial takes
Conspiracy theories
On his Fox News show, Mr Carlson often embraced conspiracy theories and far-right issues.
He repeatedly questioned the efficacy of COVID vaccines and compared mandates to “Nazi experiments”.
While he found success with viewers, his inflammatory comments caused some advertisers to distance themselves from the programme.
In 2018 he said immigrants would make the US “poorer and dirtier”, prompting an advertiser boycott.
He left Fox News after parent company Fox Corp settled a defamation lawsuit by Dominion – in which Mr Carlson played a starring role – for nearly $800m.
Dominion Voting Systems alleged in its lawsuit that Mr Carlson allowed debunked election-fraud claims about the voting-technology firm to air on his show.
In messages revealed as part of the lawsuit, Mr Carlson acknowledged the claims about voter fraud were baseless.
He also said he “passionately” hated former president Donald Trump – a departure from his rhetoric on the show.
