Lawmakers from the European Union (EU) have reportedly threatened Tucker Carlson with sanctions and a possible travel ban for his forthcoming interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told Newsweek, the onetime Fox News host has run afoul of the EU for promoting “Russian propaganda.”
“As Putin is a war criminal and the EU sanctions all who assist him in that effort, it seems logical that the External Action Service examine his case as well,” said Verhofstadt, who now serves as a member of the European Parliament.
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Verhofstadt also condemned Carlson’s role as a “mouthpiece” for former US President Donald Trump, who opposes additional support for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.
As Valuetainment previously reported, Carlson confirmed on Tuesday that he had traveled to Moscow to interview the Russian President, settling days of online speculation about his reason for traveling there. Carlson clarified in an announcement video that he does not intend for the sit-down to paint Putin as a sympathetic figure but rather wants to present the public with the side of the Russia-Ukraine war often neglected by the media.
“We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it,” Carlson said. “You should know as much as you can.”
Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024
However, this justification failed to persuade members of the EU.
“[Carlson] is no longer a newsman, but a propagandist for the most heinous regime on European soil and the one which is most dangerous to our peace and security,” former EU MEP Luis Garicano told Newsweek.
MEP Urmas Paet of Estonia echoed this sentiment, stating “It should be remembered that Putin is not just a president of an aggressor country, but he is wanted by the International Criminal Court and accused of genocide and war crimes.”
Despite the outrage among members of the European Union—which was shared by members of the American press—any sanctions against Carlson would likely be a long time coming given the governing body’s lengthy review process. Individual members alone do not have the ability to issue sanctions and instead rely on the EU’s External Action Service (EAS) to make the decision. The EAS must in turn present the case to the European Council, which further delays the process.
Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin is expected to drop between Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon on tuckercarlson.com and on X.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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