The BBC‘s John Simpson delivered a brutal slap down of Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin, claiming the American “did not ask a single exhausting query” and that the tyrant was allowed to “drone on”.
Carlson broadcast his interview with Putin, among the many uncommon events the Russian president had allowed himself to be interviewed by somebody from the West, on Thursday night time (February 8), following its recording earlier this week.
The interview marked Putin’s first interview with a Western journalist since his nation’s struggle with Ukraine started in February 2022.
It additionally got here at a time of heightened tensions throughout the Kremlin, as Russia‘s battle stutters because the second anniversary approaches.
In the course of the two-hour sit down between Putin and Carlson, subjects included former Prime Minister Boris Johnson‘s involvement within the Ukraine struggle and the way ex-US President Invoice Clinton informed the dictator that Russia could be welcomed to hitch NATO.
However the ex-journalist has been attacked for permitting Putin to talk for lengthy durations, unchallenged, along with his traces of questioning additionally criticised.
Among the many critics was Simpson, one of many nice struggle correspondents.
Taking to X, previously Twitter, the BBC editor stated: “I’m glad Putin lastly let himself be interviewed by a Western journalist — simply sorry it was Tucker Carlson, who didn’t ask a single exhausting query and allowed him to drone on, unchallenged.”
He added: “That’s precisely why they didn’t permit somebody critical to do the interview, after all.”
Carlson’s interview started in entrance of a snowy Russia and noticed him make a number of faux claims, together with that “not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview” Putin.
Among the many largest takeaways was the notion that Clinton had supplied Russia a route into NATO, the West’s army alliance.
In the course of the inteview, Putin stated: “At a gathering right here within the Kremlin with the outgoing President Invoice Clinton, proper right here within the subsequent room, I stated to him, I requested him: ‘Invoice, do you suppose if Russia requested to hitch NATO, do you suppose it could occur?’ Immediately he stated, ‘You recognize, it’s attention-grabbing. I believe so.'”
He added: “However within the night, after we met for dinner, he stated: “You recognize, I’ve talked to my workforce, no, no, it’s not doable now.’ You’ll be able to ask him. I believe he’ll watch our interview, he’ll verify it.
“I wouldn’t have stated something like that if it hadn’t occurred. Okay, nicely, it’s inconceivable now.”
In response, Carlson then pressed the dictator on whether or not Russia would have joined NATO.
The president replied: “Look, I requested the query, is it doable, or not, and the reply I acquired was no.”