by WorldTribune Staff, February 7, 2024
European Union lawmakers are calling for sanctions, including a travel ban, on American journalist Tucker Carlson for conducting an interview with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that no one has even seen yet.
Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian Prime Minister and strong Brexit opponent who currently serves in the European Parliament, told Newsweek: “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.”
Carlson, who was seen at the Kremlin earlier this week, said on Tuesday that he would soon publish his interview with Putin. Carlson also said he asked Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for an interview but has not heard back.
Carlson said in a video statement on Tuesday: “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine or what his goals are now. We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin….We are not encouraging you to agree with what Putin may say in this interview, but we are urging you to watch it. You should know as much as you can.”
Verhofstadt has called for the EU to explore imposing a “travel ban” on Carlson and described the former Fox News host as “a mouthpiece” of former President Donald Trump and Putin.
Newsweek noted: “The EU’s External Action Service (EAS) is the bloc’s diplomatic arm, responsible for foreign policy. For an individual to be added to the EU’s sanctions list, evidence must be presented to the EAS for review. If deemed sufficient, the EAS can then present the case to the European Council — the body made up of EU national leaders — which takes the final decision on whether to impose sanctions.”
EU parliament member Urmas Paet said: “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. So, for such propaganda for a criminal regime, you can end up on the list of sanctions. This concerns primarily a travel ban to EU countries.”
Breitbart’s Kurt Zindulka noted that the threats of sanctions against Carlson were made “despite the longstanding tradition of American journalists interviewing dictators of all stripes, including a leader of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.”
I can’t believe Tucker Carlson is going to interview an autocratic dictator who locks up his political opponents on phony charges and puts peaceful citizens who protested his stolen election in prison for years without bail
Oh wait, he’s interviewing Putin, not Biden
Nevermind— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) February 7, 2024
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