Is Putin about to be interviewed by a controversial American TV host?

Rumours are spreading that Mr Carlson may interview the Russian president (Picture: Reuters)

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has been spotted in Moscow – sparking a frenzy of rumours of a high profile interview.

Pictures from Russian media appear to show Carlson, 54, at a theatre in the capital – fuelling speculation he could host an audience with president Vladimir Putin.

But a high profile interview with a political figure as convoluted as Putin is not all that is drawing attention to his trip – it’s Carlson’s political alignment.

In the past, he’s been accused of ‘mirroring’ Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine, as his commentaries on the war often reflect Putin’s narrative.

If Carlson is granted an interview with President Putin, it will no doubt be tightly controlled and edited to the Kremlin’s liking.

Tucker Carlson was spotted in Moscow this week, according to pictures released by Russian media (Picture: Twitter)

Interviews with Vladimir Putin are not given out often (Picture: Getty)

Yet Carlson would not be the first television host to interview a highly contested leader.The Spectator pointed out that in 1934, journalist William Randolph Hearst sat down and interviewed Adolf Hitler.

Keir Giles, an expert with the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, told Metro.co.uk that if he did make the decision to travel to Moscow with the intention of interviewing Putin, it removes all ‘charitable explanations for his previous behaviour.’

He explained: ‘If a US citizen had travelled to Berlin in 1942 to help promote the Nazi side of the story, there would be no doubt of where they stand.

‘If Tucker Carlson does interview Vladimir Putin, he has made clear whose side he is on – and it is not that of the United States.’

Journalist William Hearst interviewed Hitler in 1934 (Picture: Getty)

Referencing Mr Hearst’s interview with Hitler in 1934, Mr Giles said: ‘That interview is comparable to if a journalist had interviewed Mr Putin in 2012.

‘Not once the war has already started – and Putin has been very clear his war is with the West not with Ukraine. Now, we’re definitely in 1942 not 1934.’

Carlson did try to set up an interview with Putin in 2021, while still working with Fox News, and said at the time that the ‘NSA was monitoring his communications’ to ‘take his show off the air’.

In September, Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said in a statement: ‘We receive dozens of requests every day from international media, including American ones, asking President Putin to give an interview.

‘We believe that the moment will definitely come when such an interview is required… But we are convinced that sooner or later such a moment will come.’

Mr Carlson’s show is often referenced by Russian television channels (Picture: X)

He was photographed in a Russian theatre (Picture: X)

When asked directly if Putin would give an interview to Carlson, Mr Peskov said: ‘We’ll wait and see.’

If the interview does go forward, upon his touchdown back in America he will most likely be prodded and interviewed by intelligence forces about his time spent with the Russian president.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Carlson’s lawyer for further comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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