American journalist Tucker Carlson may face a ban from the European Union after his recent visit to Moscow, where he provided a platform for President Vladimir Putin. This has raised concerns among members of the European Parliament, with some proposing a travel ban on Carlson due to his association with Putin, who is accused of war crimes.
MEP Urmas Paet criticized Carlson, stating that giving a platform to someone accused of crimes of genocide is wrong. He questioned Carlson’s journalistic approach and suggested that such “propaganda” could result in a travel ban to EU countries.
Former Belgian Prime Minister and current MEP Guy Verhofstadt also believes that Carlson should be banned from the EU, citing the EU’s sanctions against war criminals associated with Putin.
Former MEP Luis Garicano supported the proposed sanction against Carlson, calling him a “propagandist” for the Russian regime.
Carlson defended his actions, stating that he aimed to keep Americans informed about the conflict in Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of lives lost. He visited Russia with his own funds and conducted an interview with Putin, claiming that most Americans are not informed about the conflict.
However, many journalists have requested to interview Putin since the war in Ukraine began, and Russia confirmed that Carlson’s claim about Americans being uninformed is not true.
Despite the interview not being published yet, Carlson’s past defense of certain points of Russia’s policies raises concerns that the interview may favor Moscow.
It is worth noting that former US President Donald Trump, who was a close associate of Carlson, had considered him as a potential running mate and vice president. This further emphasizes the controversial nature of Carlson’s actions and potential impact on his travel to the EU.
Still have some travel questions? Ask in our Travel WhatsApp Group.
