When Tucker Carlson announced that he would interview the president of Russia, many were intrigued. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the image of Putin has been morphed by the media from an unsung hero of Russians to a bloody dictator whose army commits heinous crimes. While Ukraine would provide evidence of the war crimes, the opposition, often encouraged by economic benefits or fear of World War III, would either minimize those facts or simply deny them. This controversial state of affairs resulted in millions of people watching the interview as soon as Carlson released it. I watched it too.
The interview went on for two hours straight. While Carlson was in a position to lead the discussion, I had a strong perception that he could barely lift that paddle to row the boat. Putin had a vision of what he wanted to say, and he skillfully used Carlson’s questions to do so. Many of the things he said were predictable. Putin spoke of his own interpretation of Russian (and Ukrainian) history, NATO’s influence, Chinese trade, and reasons for the attack and vented about Ukrainians being too stubborn to become Russians. These ideas are not new, for Russian propaganda had pushed such narratives since the beginning of the invasion. Putin just reinforced them with his voice, charming some of the more gullible listeners.
However, much was not said. The interview felt like an old movie that you were forced to watch because there was nothing interesting on TV. The controversial, charismatic actor, who could have been given a more thrilling role, was playing an extra, selling shawarma on the corner of the street. We’ve heard it! We’ve seen it! The demos want something fresh and new. So I imagined for a few minutes what I wished Carlson had asked President Putin, or what I wished I could’ve asked him myself.
So I formed a picture of the same two people, but imagined Tucker wouldn’t giggle or resort to letting the president take over the interview. He would be more direct, truth-oriented, and hard on certain questions. Here are the questions he would ask and why.
Good day, Mr. President—he would begin—thank you for your willingness to do this interview.
Of course—Putin will answer, slightly nodding his head—my pleasure.
1. Mr. President, since 2014, you’ve claimed that you have been liberating Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, especially in the east. So why are so many civilian people there still getting killed or terrorized at this very moment by your army?
2. If it is true that you came to liberate those people, who, by the nature of the word liberate, wanted to be freed, why are they fiercely fighting against your attempts?
3. Before launching a full-scale attack in Ukraine, you’ve quoted John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” where “friends” meant Ukrainians of the east, who Russian soldiers were supposedly fighting for. As of now, more than 395,000 Russian soldiers have been killed by the Ukrainian defense. Were they not your closer “friends”? Do you consider their deaths worthy?
4. One of the avowed aims of attacking Ukraine was to stop NATO’s expansion. However, as a result of the invasion, Finland decided to join the alliance, and now you have a 1,340 km border with a NATO ally in the northwest. Were you surprised that your neighbors would feel threatened?
5. Since the Russian army came to ‘liberate’ Ukrainians from alleged neo-Nazis, they haven’t killed even one Nazi; instead, as documented, there are more than 29,731 civilian casualties, including 10,287 deaths (the actual figures are much higher), while 3.3 million Ukrainians are living on the frontlines, struggling with severe shortages of resources and constant bombardment. Do you still claim that your war is just?
6. There is well-documented evidence collected by Ukrainian and international experts of Russian soldiers committing war crimes against civilians in the occupied territories, including shooting people with their hands tied, raping women ranging in age from 19 to 83 years, torturing civilians and soldiers, attacking independent journalists and medical workers, shooting at civilian buildings, and more. Was it your order to terrorize the occupied population and foreign workers?
7. Do you condone the Russian army’s deployment of prohibited weapons, as has happened in Kherson, Mariupol, Bakhmut, etc., that cause physical mutilation, thermal, or chemical injuries?
8. Why do you condone the torture and inhumane treatment of Ukrainian POWs, considering that Russia signed the Geneva Conventions and its protocols? Are you aware that some of your soldiers also commit the brutal acts of castration of Ukrainian soldiers?
9. You’ve mentioned that if the United States stops sending armor to help Ukraine, the war will stop in a few weeks. Why should your word be trusted, considering that you’ve also admitted to not “achieving your war goals” in Ukraine yet? Wouldn’t defanging the Ukrainian armed forces help you speedily occupy more territory and terrorize more civilians into submission?
10. You claim to be a defender of traditional values in Russia, yet your army commits crimes against Christians on the occupied territories in Ukraine and foreign missionaries are often persecuted in Russia. This is not even to mention the record spike of abortions and the number of divorces in Russia. Do you consider this to be traditional?
11. Considering our topic of wars, do you, as president of Russia, recognize the war crimes committed by your army in Georgia in 2008 and Chechnya in 1994, 1999, and 2009, not to mention Syria, including looting, raping, abduction of people, arson, and other acts against the civilians?
12. Do you recognize that forced deportation and Russification of Ukrainian children, persecution and torture of Ukrainians on occupied territories, and targeting civilian buildings can be defined as genocidal, according to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide?
Thank you for your loud silence, Mr. President.
There are many more questions that could be asked of President Putin. To mention just a few topics: the persecution of Russian opposition and forced draft of Russian men; the large number of Russians living under the poverty line while billions of dollars are being used for the war; Russian intrusion in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests; and, on top of that, Russia’s dubious claim to be a democracy, given that Putin has served as the President of the country for more than 20 years.
However, in order to find answers to these inquiries, we must either look for a truth-seeking interviewer or accept the fact that Russia is not a country where meaningful questions can be asked.
Twelve Questions Tucker Didn’t Ask
When Tucker Carlson announced that he would interview the president of Russia, many were intrigued. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, the image of Putin has been morphed by the media from an unsung hero of Russians to a bloody dictator whose army commits heinous crimes. While Ukraine would provide evidence of the war crimes, the opposition, often encouraged by economic benefits or fear of World War III, would either minimize those facts or simply deny them. This controversial state of affairs resulted in millions of people watching the interview as soon as Carlson released it. I watched it too.
The interview went on for two hours straight. While Carlson was in a position to lead the discussion, I had a strong perception that he could barely lift that paddle to row the boat. Putin had a vision of what he wanted to say, and he skillfully used Carlson’s questions to do so. Many of the things he said were predictable. Putin spoke of his own interpretation of Russian (and Ukrainian) history, NATO’s influence, Chinese trade, and reasons for the attack and vented about Ukrainians being too stubborn to become Russians. These ideas are not new, for Russian propaganda had pushed such narratives since the beginning of the invasion. Putin just reinforced them with his voice, charming some of the more gullible listeners.
However, much was not said. The interview felt like an old movie that you were forced to watch because there was nothing interesting on TV. The controversial, charismatic actor, who could have been given a more thrilling role, was playing an extra, selling shawarma on the corner of the street. We’ve heard it! We’ve seen it! The demos want something fresh and new. So I imagined for a few minutes what I wished Carlson had asked President Putin, or what I wished I could’ve asked him myself.
So I formed a picture of the same two people, but imagined Tucker wouldn’t giggle or resort to letting the president take over the interview. He would be more direct, truth-oriented, and hard on certain questions. Here are the questions he would ask and why.
Good day, Mr. President—he would begin—thank you for your willingness to do this interview.
Of course—Putin will answer, slightly nodding his head—my pleasure.
1. Mr. President, since 2014, you’ve claimed that you have been liberating Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, especially in the east. So why are so many civilian people there still getting killed or terrorized at this very moment by your army?
2. If it is true that you came to liberate those people, who, by the nature of the word liberate, wanted to be freed, why are they fiercely fighting against your attempts?
3. Before launching a full-scale attack in Ukraine, you’ve quoted John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” where “friends” meant Ukrainians of the east, who Russian soldiers were supposedly fighting for. As of now, more than 395,000 Russian soldiers have been killed by the Ukrainian defense. Were they not your closer “friends”? Do you consider their deaths worthy?
4. One of the avowed aims of attacking Ukraine was to stop NATO’s expansion. However, as a result of the invasion, Finland decided to join the alliance, and now you have a 1,340 km border with a NATO ally in the northwest. Were you surprised that your neighbors would feel threatened?
5. Since the Russian army came to ‘liberate’ Ukrainians from alleged neo-Nazis, they haven’t killed even one Nazi; instead, as documented, there are more than 29,731 civilian casualties, including 10,287 deaths (the actual figures are much higher), while 3.3 million Ukrainians are living on the frontlines, struggling with severe shortages of resources and constant bombardment. Do you still claim that your war is just?
6. There is well-documented evidence collected by Ukrainian and international experts of Russian soldiers committing war crimes against civilians in the occupied territories, including shooting people with their hands tied, raping women ranging in age from 19 to 83 years, torturing civilians and soldiers, attacking independent journalists and medical workers, shooting at civilian buildings, and more. Was it your order to terrorize the occupied population and foreign workers?
7. Do you condone the Russian army’s deployment of prohibited weapons, as has happened in Kherson, Mariupol, Bakhmut, etc., that cause physical mutilation, thermal, or chemical injuries?
8. Why do you condone the torture and inhumane treatment of Ukrainian POWs, considering that Russia signed the Geneva Conventions and its protocols? Are you aware that some of your soldiers also commit the brutal acts of castration of Ukrainian soldiers?
9. You’ve mentioned that if the United States stops sending armor to help Ukraine, the war will stop in a few weeks. Why should your word be trusted, considering that you’ve also admitted to not “achieving your war goals” in Ukraine yet? Wouldn’t defanging the Ukrainian armed forces help you speedily occupy more territory and terrorize more civilians into submission?
10. You claim to be a defender of traditional values in Russia, yet your army commits crimes against Christians on the occupied territories in Ukraine and foreign missionaries are often persecuted in Russia. This is not even to mention the record spike of abortions and the number of divorces in Russia. Do you consider this to be traditional?
11. Considering our topic of wars, do you, as president of Russia, recognize the war crimes committed by your army in Georgia in 2008 and Chechnya in 1994, 1999, and 2009, not to mention Syria, including looting, raping, abduction of people, arson, and other acts against the civilians?
12. Do you recognize that forced deportation and Russification of Ukrainian children, persecution and torture of Ukrainians on occupied territories, and targeting civilian buildings can be defined as genocidal, according to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide?
Thank you for your loud silence, Mr. President.
There are many more questions that could be asked of President Putin. To mention just a few topics: the persecution of Russian opposition and forced draft of Russian men; the large number of Russians living under the poverty line while billions of dollars are being used for the war; Russian intrusion in the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests; and, on top of that, Russia’s dubious claim to be a democracy, given that Putin has served as the President of the country for more than 20 years.
However, in order to find answers to these inquiries, we must either look for a truth-seeking interviewer or accept the fact that Russia is not a country where meaningful questions can be asked.
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