Putin Bristles at Tucker Carlson Suggesting He's Paranoid

Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at former Fox News host Tucker Carlson after it was suggested that the Russian strongman was "paranoid" about the United States.

During the opening moments of his controversial interview with Carlson, Putin asked the conservative pundit whether he was taking part in "a talk show or a serious conversation" after being accused of paranoia for purported concerns that the U.S. might launch a "surprise attack" on Russia via NATO prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Context

The Putin interview, which took place during Carlson's recent visit to Moscow, was released online Thursday night. Critics of Carlson have previously accused him of promoting Russian government propaganda. He has also faced backlash for traveling to Russia for the interview as the war continues in Ukraine.

Guy Verhofstadt and Urmas Paet, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and former Belgian and Estonian prime ministers, respectively, suggested in comments to Newsweek that Carlson could face EU sanctions over the interview.

Meanwhile, U.S. conservatives—particularly followers of former President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, have praised Carlson for participating in "real journalism" by conducting the interview.

What We Know

At the beginning of the interview, Carlson asserted that Putin "had come to the conclusion that the United States, through NATO, might initiate a 'surprise attack'" on Russia.

"To American ears, that sounds paranoid," Carlson continued. "Tell us why you believe the United States might strike Russia out of the blue. How did you conclude that?"

"It's not that America, the United States was going to launch a surprise strike on Russia," Putin responded. "I didn't say that. Are we having a talk show or a serious conversation?"

Carlson reacted by laughing and offering to read the Russian president his own quote. Putin ignored him and instead began an extended explanation of the "historical background" of Russia and Ukraine, before arguing that Moscow was justified in claiming parts of Ukrainian territory.

In response to Newsweek's request for comment, a spokesperson from Putin's office said, "We didn't find a single statement in the interview where Tucker Carlson called Mr. President Putin paranoid."

Views

Putin cited concerns about the expansion of NATO as one of the reasons for launching the February 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine. During the Carlson interview, he said that the U.S. broke a "promise" that "NATO would not expand eastward," while arguing that "NATO members obediently vote" based on the demands of "U.S. leadership."

The interview released on Thursday was far from the first time that Putin has been accused of being "paranoid," although the claim is often made in relation to the Russian leader's concerns about his own safety rather than his geopolitical views.

What's Next?

Despite Putin's wishes, NATO has continued to expand during the Ukraine war, with Finland joining the alliance last year and Sweden looking likely to soon follow suit.

Putin's purported paranoia about NATO could grow stronger with Sweden's entry, which would complete the transformation of the Baltic Sea into what some have dubbed "NATO lake."

All other nations with a Baltic coastline—Finland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia—are NATO members. The only exception is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which is between Lithuania and Poland.

Update 2/9/24, 3:53 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from a spokesperson for Putin.