The European Union may be considering a travel ban on Tucker Carlson for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson interviewed the de facto dictator during his trip to Russia, attracting international headlines and scrutiny. Current and former members of the EU's European Parliament, fearful of Putin's intentions towards Europe and NATO, are particularly outraged.
“Putin is a war criminal, and the EU sanctions all who assist him in that effort; it seems logical that the External Action Service examines his case as well,” former Belgian prime minister and current member of the European Parliament (MEP) Guy Verhofstadt said.
Verhofstadt dubbed Carlson “a mouthpiece” of Putin.
The EU's External Action Service (EAS) oversees diplomacy. Evidence must be submitted to the EAS to add an individual to the EU sanctions list. If the evidence is considered sufficient, it is presented to the European Council, composed of leaders of EU countries, who would decide Carlson's fate. (RELATED: Is Tucker Carlson A Total Putin Stooge? We May Soon Find Out)
The complex process suggests that it may take a long time before Carlson is sanctioned, if at all.
One diplomatic official who spoke to Newsweek on the condition of anonymity said that for travel restrictions to succeed, it must be proven that Carlson is linked to Putin's unprovoked invasion. However, they considered such evidence “absent or hard to prove.”
Other European politicians disagreed, as Newsweek reports:
Still, Luis Garicano, a former MEP, told Newsweek he agreed with Verhofstadt's stance. “He 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,” Garicano said of Carlson.
The content of Carlson's interview with Putin is not yet clear but, given the pundit's long-time defense of aspects of Russian policy, critics expect it to be sympathetic to Moscow.
“First of all, 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,” MEP Urmas Paet, who previously served as Estonia's foreign minister, told Newsweek.
“Carlson wants to give a platform to someone accused of crimes of genocide—this is wrong. If Putin has something to say he needs to say it in front of the ICC. At the same time Carlson is not being a real journalist since he has clearly expressed his sympathy for the Russian regime and Putin and has constantly disparaged Ukraine, the victim of Russian aggression.
A Kremlin spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that Carlson's interview had already occurred.
When asked why Putin had granted Carlson's request for an interview, despite denying requests from Western journalists since the start of the war, the spokesperson explained that although Carlson was pro-America, his views challenged the traditional “Anglo-Saxon media.” (RELATED: Anti-Trump Social Media Account Of Popular Republican Governor Uncovered)
“Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they're implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it,” Carlson declared in a statement on X.
He also said he requested an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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