The EU has no plans to sanction American journalist Tucker Carlson over his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, TASS reports, citing sources. The much-anticipated face-to-face has been confirmed by the Kremlin and is expected to be aired at 6pm EST (11pm GMT) on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Newsweek magazine, citing several current and former EU lawmakers, reported that Brussels could ban the former Fox News host from visiting countries in the bloc. MEP Guy Verhofstadt, who once served as Belgian prime minister, suggested that the EU could look into Carlson’s case, given that Brussels sanctions anyone who assists Russian President Vladimir Putin – who he called a “war criminal.”
Carlson said he wanted to talk to Putin because it is his “duty to inform people,” especially with regard to the Ukraine conflict, since the US provides support for Kiev. He added that many Western media outlets “lie to their readers and viewers” by promoting Kiev’s position while downplaying Russia’s.