Tucker Carlson initiated the interview, says Kremlin officials

A two-hour interview between American host Tucker Carlson and Vladimir Putin was published on Friday. The contentious journalist was keen to understand why the Russian President decided to invade Ukraine. To answer this, Putin first provided a broad historical context dating back to the 9th century.

In the program "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin", the spokesman for the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, revealed that Carlson had initiated the conversation.

"Indeed, he approached us on his own. He extended the offer for this interview. We thoroughly reviewed his work and gauged his stance on certain issues. We ultimately decided to recommend the president to accept the interview proposal and he promptly agreed to it," explained Peskov.

Peskov noted that the interview increased Carlson's popularity, but it also sparked much criticism.

"Considering the growing unpredictability of the collective West, there were concerns of potential backlash against Carlson preceding the interview. As far as I understand, he is currently facing challenging times," stated the Kremlin representative.

Tucker Carlson is a former FOX News host and has been highly critical of American aid to Ukraine. He has also explored conspiracy theories, such as American laboratories in Ukraine. Russian media frequently used his statements and commentaries.

In the interview with Putin, Carlson suggested to the Russian president that the invasion was a response to the expansion of NATO. However, Putin remained reticent on the subject.