What do Vladimir Putin and Tucker Carlson gain from their meeting?
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The picture came from Getty Images.
Rewritten: Written by Will Vernon and Matt Murphy, the following blog post discusses the importance of using different vocabulary when writing in English.
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The interview everyone was waiting for between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and American conservative journalist Tucker Carlson has been broadcasted.
On Tuesday, Mr Carlson recorded an interview which he subsequently shared on his website and X, which used to be called Twitter.
This notable meeting is the first instance where the Russian leader has consented to being interviewed by a Western media organization since initiating his all-out attack on Ukraine around two years ago. The get-together happens as the conflict in Ukraine has come to a standstill.
In the midst of a snowy Kremlin, Mr. Carlson commenced the interview and stated that it was filmed 48 hours prior.
Before the interview, he lied and said that no other reporters were interested in speaking with the Russian leader and that no Western journalist had interviewed Mr. Putin since the invasion of Ukraine.
Many journalists from the West, such as Steve Rosenberg, who works as the Russia Editor for BBC, have tried to schedule interviews with the Russian government, but unfortunately, all of their requests have been disregarded.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Kremlin, acknowledged that Mr. Carlson had made an error. Mr. Peskov informed the BBC in Moscow that it was not possible for Mr. Carlson to have known the truth. He added that there were numerous requests for interviews with the president.
This interview is a big win for Mr. Carlson, who has quickly recovered after being fired by Fox News last year, allegedly due to a disagreement with owner Rupert Murdoch. It provides him with the opportunity to showcase his new media company, which began operating last year, as a significant force in the media industry.
In the interview, Mr. Carlson urged Mr. Putin to grant the freedom of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich. He asked if Mr. Putin would allow Mr. Gershkovich to be handed over to the United States.
The interview was good for Mr Putin, even though he decided not to do it.
It's a good thing that Mr. Carlson's visit coincides with the Russian leader's longstanding rule because his public appearances are meticulously orchestrated and managed by the Kremlin.
The United States is currently facing difficulty in passing a bill that would grant military aid to Ukraine. The aid is deemed significant in order to carry on with their war efforts. A recent bill was making progress in the Senate which would allocate $60 billion towards Kyiv. However, there has been strong opposition from the Republican Party in the House.
Without new resources from the military, Ukraine is facing significant difficulties in its goal to remove Russian forces from their country and start new attacks in the southern and eastern Donbas area.
Several prominent Republicans, such as Mitch McConnell, who leads the Senate for their party, still want to pass that fresh aid. However, they are encountering more resistance from right-wing party members who are unhappy about the increased expenses associated with the conflict and are advocating for the US to stay out of worldwide battles.
The Kremlin aims to influence Republican lawmakers by having them listen to a conservative TV host's interview. This may convince them to adopt Moscow's viewpoints, which are usually only echoed in the Russian media. This TV presenter, Mr. Carlson, has a close relationship with Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, who has been hesitant about providing aid to Ukraine. This could work in the Kremlin's favor.
The source of the image is from Getty Images.
Ever since his incursion into Ukraine back in February of 2022, Vladimir Putin has steered clear of giving interviews to any Western media outlets.
Mr Carlson's platform provides the Kremlin with a chance to connect with more people in the US who may have conservative beliefs and might be open to their message. In the past, the ex-Fox News presenter has criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and supported Mr Putin's campaign to uphold "traditional values," which has been associated with discriminating against LGBT individuals in Russia.
The Kremlin's communications experts are also paying attention to Europe, which will be solely responsible for supporting Ukraine financially if America stops providing aid.
The political climate in Europe is evolving, with recent studies revealing that the public is becoming more hesitant towards maintaining their support for Ukraine. Various right-wing populist parties, some of which have pro-Russian tendencies, have achieved electoral success in a number of countries. Additionally, other parties, including those from prominent economies such as France and Germany, are polling well.
However, there is also a part of the event that relates to domestic matters. The country of Russia is scheduled to conduct its presidential elections a month from now. Though it is highly likely that Mr. Putin will emerge as the winner, since his competitor who opposes war was disqualified just recently, the interview Mr. Carlson conducted with him can make the Russian leader display himself as a global statesman to his own countrymen.
Truly, the Russian government-run media has dedicated numerous days to portraying Mr. Carlson as a prominent figure. With excited reporting, state television tracked the arrival of the media influencer and aired clips of different excursions to eateries, as well as a trip to view the Spartacus ballet at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre.
Eventually, Moscow is going to closely monitor the increasing indicators of disunity within Ukraine's political system.
President Zelensky announced on Thursday that he was replacing his highest-ranking military leader, General Valery Zaluzhny. The change in leadership comes after rumors circulated about a possible disagreement between the two men. This news may please Russian President Putin as his objective, besides conquering Ukraine with military force, is to remove the Zelensky administration and establish a pro-Russian government that he can manipulate.
If that strategy doesn't work, the leader of the Kremlin is relying on Europe and America to become fatigued by the ongoing war and push the Ukrainians to engage in talks to resolve the conflict in a way that would benefit Moscow.