A prominent Russian academic laid out the “consequences” he feels will come from Tucker Carlson’s interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Sergey Karaganov, a former adviser to Putin and head of Moscow’s Council for Foreign and Defense Policy think tank, Carlson’s interview will contribute to “the emerging Western retreat” from Ukraine.
Carlson spoke with Putin for an on-camera interview that aired on February 8. During their talk, Putin spoke at length about Ukraine and indicated a negotiated end to the war is possible. He also opened up about his relationships with various American presidents over the years.
Carlson’s interview with the Russian leader also continues to be a major topic for media outlets operated by the Kremlin, as evidenced by Karaganov’s appearance on host Dmitry Kulikov’s show on the Russian state network TV Center.
Photo by GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/POOL/AFP/Getty Images
On Monday, Julia Davis, the founder of the Russia Media Monitor watchdog group, shared a clip on YouTube of Karaganov discussing Carlson’s interview.
Kulikov begins by asking Karaganov, “What will be the consequences of this [interview],” which he noted has garnered “millions of views.”
“I believe this interview will be a significant contribution towards an overall picture of the emerging Western retreat, especially since the president [Joe Biden] is already openly saying, ‘Guys, find an excuse to get the heck out of here,'” Karaganov said, according to an English translation.
Newsweek reached out to a representative for Carlson via email on Tuesday for comment.
The academic said the United States will leave Ukraine with “flags flying high, instead of running, like in Afghanistan or Vietnam.”
“The United States have finally started their retreat,” he added. “They’re already retreating, and this retreat will continue! It will go on for a long time.”
Karaganov said Russia should respond to this alleged decline of Western support for Kyiv by increasing its war efforts.
“We should move up the ladder of an escalation so we can convince the West to retreat sooner,” he said.
Karaganov has previously called for an escalation to the war in Ukraine, including last June when he wrote an article that suggested Russia should threaten to use nuclear weapons on Europe to break Western support for Ukraine.
Writing for the Kremlin-linked website Russia in Global Affairs, Karaganov said Moscow should increase its nuclear rhetoric to push the West to “back down.”
“This is a morally terrible choice—we use the weapons of God, dooming ourselves to severe spiritual losses. But if this is not done, not only Russia may perish, but, most likely, the entire human civilization will end,” he wrote.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.