Ukraine believes Tucker Carlson 'works for Putin' amid growing US scrutiny
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) gives an interview to U.S. talk show host Tucker Carlson (L) at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 6, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov / Pool / AFP / Getty Images)
on GoogleTucker Carlson, a conservative commentator now under scrutiny in the U.S., has long drawn criticism in Ukraine for amplifying narratives aligned with the Kremlin — a record that is gaining fresh attention as he claims he could face criminal charges at home.
"The CIA is preparing some kind of criminal referral against me, a crime report to the Department of Justice on the basis of a supposed crime I committed," Carlson said, adding that the allegations could stem from his contacts with individuals in Iran.
The remarks come as Carlson distances himself from mainstream conservative positions, particularly through his criticism of U.S.-Israeli war with Iran — a stance that has put him at odds with parts of the movement he once helped shape.
Yet in Kyiv, Carlson's reputation was cemented years earlier.
Ukrainian officials have long pointed to his repeated promotion of narratives closely mirroring Russian state propaganda — from conspiracy theories about biological laboratories in Ukraine to claims about Kyiv's role in wartime incidents.
As scrutiny around Carlson grows in Washington, his record on Ukraine offers insight into why critics — both in the U.S. and abroad — question his role and influence.
From Fox News star to independent provocateur
Carlson rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a co-host on CNN's "Crossfire," later appearing on MSNBC before achieving recognition with his Fox News program.
In 2016, he launched "Tucker Carlson Tonight," which became one of the most-watched cable news shows, helping bring far-right perspectives into the mainstream of American politics.
After his abrupt departure from Fox News in 2023, Carlson continued to build an audience through media platforms such as YouTube and X.
At the same time, he developed close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to reporting by the New York Times, Carlson even played a role in shaping Trump's political circle, including advocating for JD Vance as a vice presidential pick while warning against other potential candidates.
Even as his influence grew in the U.S., scrutiny intensified in Ukraine.
The Kremlin's favorite American
Carlson has frequently framed mainstream media as fundamentally deceptive.
In a video announcing his independent show, he argued that "the news you consume is a lie," accusing journalists of deliberately manipulating audiences.
That worldview has shaped his coverage of Ukraine — often in ways that mirror Russian propaganda.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Carlson accused the Biden administration of pushing Ukraine into war, describing Kyiv as a "State Department client state."
After the invasion began, he continued to criticize U.S. support for Ukraine, arguing Washington should prioritize negotiations with Moscow.
At the same time, he echoed narratives widely promoted by Russian state media.
Among them were claims that Ukraine operated U.S.-backed biological weapons laboratories and accusations that Kyiv was responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant — all assertions rejected by Ukraine and its allies.
The scrutiny intensified in 2024 when Carlson traveled to Moscow to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Carlson framed the interview as a rare opportunity, claiming Western journalists had not attempted to speak with Putin — a claim disputed by multiple reporters who said they had sought interviews but were denied.
The visit drew extensive coverage in Russian state media and pro-war channels.
Russian propaganda outlets embraced Carlson so strongly that they even began translating and broadcasting his show on state television after the interview.
Carlson has said he receives no incentives for this and claims the programs are aired in Russia "without legal permission."
During the Putin interview, Carlson allowed the Russian president to present his views uninterrupted, including justifications for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and criticisms of Western support for Kyiv.
Observers noted that he rarely challenged inaccuracies or contested key claims.
Later that year, Carlson conducted another high-profile interview in Moscow — this time with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
As with the Putin interview, critics again pointed out that Carlson offered little pushback as Lavrov repeated narratives about the war and Russia's relations with the West.
'He works for Putin'
Despite these engagements, Carlson sought an interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In 2024, he claimed Zelensky had ignored his requests, suggesting an interview might still happen. Ukrainian officials quickly dismissed the idea.
"Mr. Tucker Carlson should check his sources in the FSB more carefully," Zelensky's spokesperson said at the time. "The Ukrainian president has a completely different schedule, and Tucker Carlson is not on it."
Zelensky himself went further. In a 2025 interview, he accused Carlson of effectively serving Kremlin interests.
"Regrettably, this blogger or journalist, whatever he wants to call himself, he fully repeats the words of Putin… He works for Putin," Zelensky said.
This stance is hardly surprising. Before attempting to arrange the interview, Carlson spent months attacking Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and echoing Russian propaganda narratives.
The question of foreign influence has since resurfaced in the United States, though now in a different geopolitical context.
As tensions escalated between Washington, Israel, and Iran, Carlson emerged as a vocal critic of U.S. policy — placing him at odds with some of Trump's allies.
Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer, has publicly accused Carlson of undermining figures within the Trump camp and suggested his actions may be deliberate.
Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, Loomer said she believes Carlson could be acting as a foreign asset.
"I have been very outspoken about my belief that he could possibly be an Iranian, Russian, or Qatari asset," she said, adding that she would support an investigation.
Carlson declined to comment on the allegations.
Shaping public opinion
Beyond political infighting, Carlson's rhetoric has affected public opinion.
Polling in recent years has shown a sharp partisan divide over U.S. support for Ukraine. A Wall Street Journal poll published in April 2025 found that 83% of Democratic voters supported continued aid to Ukraine, while 79% of Republicans opposed it.
While attitudes have shifted again in 2026, one person familiar with internal discussions in Washington told the Kyiv Independent that Carlson's messaging played a big role in shaping Republican skepticism toward Ukraine.
Michael Socolow, a professor at the University of Maine, offered a more cautious assessment.
"My sense — and I do not have the data to back this up — is that popular support for Ukraine runs inverse to President Trump's popularity, regardless of any specific media commentator," he said.
Still, Carlson's divergence from Trump on Iran has raised questions about whether his influence could fracture parts of the political base he once helped consolidate.
A person familiar with dynamics inside the White House told the Kyiv Independent that the split could soon become more visible.
"You'll see — once Tucker is done, Trump will give him a nickname," the person said jokingly, referencing Trump's habit of branding political rivals.
While the U.S. president has not yet given him a nickname, he has signaled a clear break.
"MAGA is America first, and Tucker is none of those things," Trump said on March 5. "Tucker is really not smart enough to understand that."
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