On Feb. 6, 2024, conservative political commentator and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson recorded a two hour long interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Russo-Ukrainian War.
This interview came as a shock to many as this was the first time Putin has been interviewed by an American news source in almost two and a half years. People became shocked by the contents of the interview and what Putin’s responses were but also for the fact that such an interview even happened, let alone lasted two hours. Carlson’s upload of the interview started out with a message from Carlson himself where he claims that Putin was not filibustering in his responses. The interview had no time limit and Putin’s responses were, “…[what] seemed to us, sincere, whether you agree with it or not.”
Putin is playing to people’s fears, and if Putin says there are Nazis… It’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, period. I think Niles North students and faculty need to watch a variety of news sources, open up their eyes, understand the importance of history, consider point of view, the purpose of any interview, and consider the source. Niles North people need to stand up for what is right. Ukrainians are not Nazis. Volodymyr Zelensky is not a Nazi.” — Kristy Pommerenke-Schneider, AP European History
The first 30 minutes are the part most people remembered; after being asked his first question, hoping only to take up a minute of Carlson’s time, Putin went on a long history ramble about the Russian state and Ukrainian people going as far back as the 9th century. What this all led to was Putin claiming that Ukraine had an “artificial sovereignty” and that parts of Western Ukraine belonged to Russia. This went into a discussion, led by and according to Putin, on the Nazi based origins of the modern Ukrainian state; part of Putin’s plans in the invasion of Ukraine was for the “denazificaiton” of said lands.
“What Putin was saying was more of a propaganda tool for his fascist regime,” Sophomore Gabriel Marín-Luna said. “This interview was meant to be on Ukraine, yet Putin somehow turned it into a Russian history lesson. Putin certainly looked like he was trying to build a narrative [like fascists] with all the history he was trying to talk about. He didn’t really care about all the lies that he told. He said that it was Poland’s fault that they got invaded by the Nazis because they were ‘uncooperative.’He wants to justify everything he’s doing, even though his narrative is false, even though it’s not a good justification.”
Many responded to this in shock, considering the history ramble disrespectful and deceptive, and his statements regarding the Ukrainian state’s origins unfounded and obscure. However, this is not entirely the case, though Putin’s use of such information is extreme.
“You’ve got a situation where you had mass famine, which most historians will say was a Ukrainian genocide,” Pommerenke-Schneider said. “Ukrainian people who had to feed the Russian city so that Stalin could industrialize. And perhaps… you had some people in Ukraine who may have thought that the Germans were better [as compared] to Stalin, because Stalin just starved your family. Does that make Ukrainians Nazis? No. But who are you going to pick? I’m not excusing, and absolutely it was a choiceless choice, but I can understand, as uncomfortable as it is.”
Many consider this interview to either be propaganda for the Republican party, for the Russians, or both. Some have gone as far as to avoid the interview specifically for this reason. Pommerenke-Schneider herself said, “I purposely did not watch the interview because it’s propaganda; I think Tucker Carlson is not a respected journalist, and after leaving Fox News, all of a sudden he seems to be having all these opinions that are pro-Putin.”
Regarding Illinois and Niles North itself, US Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky came to North on Feb. 22 and spoke about Ukraine when questioned, highlighting the importance of supporting Ukraine in the war.
The agenda of Vladimir Putin is to take over Ukraine, and who knows what other country is next. I fear, and I think a lot of us and our allies around the world, fear that if we lose Ukraine it will [lead to] the next thing, and the next thing. For the sake of our country, for the sake of democracy, we need to be in this battle with Ukraine. What Putin is saying is all about his plan to take over more of the world.”
— Jan Schakowsky, Illinois' 9th District Representative
Russian reviews from Tucker Carlson and the statements from Vladimir Putin have caused a great deal of stress and outrage from people all around the world, especially in the United States. Many are becoming suspicious and apprehensive regarding Carlson’s intentions, the bases of Putin’s claims, and the future of the Russo-Ukrainian War and America’s involvement in it. Feb. 24, 2024 marks the two year anniversary of Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine, highlighting even more the devastating effects and longevity of this war. Many are unsure of how Ukraine will come out of this conflict, but if the bicolor banner does come out victorious, it will mean a victory for democracy and self-determination. However, if Putin’s tricolor comes out on top, it could mean an end to rightful sovereignty, a Russian chokehold on the eastern European nations, and possibly a return to the Soviet Union if left unchecked, especially by the United States itself.
