In February 2024, reports dispersed with an explanation why the American TV presenter in the framework of an interview did not ask the President of the Russian Federation questions about Bucha. Carlson allegedly replied that he was not working on BBC, and "Bucha is their project." We checked whether this is a real quote.

Interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin was Published On the website of the American publicist Tucker Carlson on February 8, 2024. Conversation lasted a little more than two hours, and during this time the host did not ask a single question about mass murder peaceful citizens in Buch in March 2022, when the city was controlled by Russian troops.

February 12 in the Telegram channel of political scientist Sergei Markov (46,000 views at the time of writing this analysis) appeared post with an explanation: “Tucker Carlson gave the Air Force Superior. When asked why he did not ask a question about Buch, Carlson answered with a joke that he was not working at the Air Force, and Bucha is their project. Yes. Bucha is a joint project of the special services of Britain, the SBU and the Air Force. The essence is simple: about a hundred of Buchi residents killed the SBU for taking humanitarian aid from the Russian army. Then the bodies of the dead were scattered by picture. Then the Air Force promoted this mass murder of the SBU of civilians as supposedly a military crime of the Russian army. In the case of Buchi, the Air Force managers are accomplices in the SBU military crime and in the future should sit on the bench of the defendants of the International Tribunal. This is what Carlson hints at. ”

Markov’s commentary soon distributed Telegram channels "Ukraine.ru"(172,000 views),"Tucker Carlson"(80 000),"Mriya"(48 000),"Nikolai Dulsky. Official channel"(14,000),"Kryminforum 🇿 🇴 🇻"(13,000) and many others. 13 February Political Science in English Published The user of social networks X under the nickname Victor Vicktop55, his tweet gained more than 300,000 views. In addition, similar records post Publics And Users VKontakte, also the estimated quote of Carlson is found at some news sites And forums.

Photo: screenshots of posts from the TGSTAT service

Markov did not specify where and when Carlson made such a comment about an interview with Putin, and “verified” could not find such a quote in any authoritative English-language media. In the evening of February 12, the TV presenter published on his site and in social networks X 26-minute video with your performance on World Governments Summit In Dubai. “Tucker for the first time discusses an interview with Vladimir Putin,” the signature for the video read. “Verified” studied this entry and also did not find mention of Buch and BBC. In terms of meaning to the quote, Carlson’s answer to the question of the Egyptian journalist Emad Eldin Adib about why, during an interview with the President of the Russian Federation, there were no questions about freedom in Russia, about Alexei Navalny, about political murders, as well as the restrictions of the opposition before the future elections:

I did not talk about the topics that all other American media are talking about. Because all these things are illuminated because I have talked all my life with people who lead different countries, and came to the following conclusion: every leader kills people, including my leader. Every leader kills people. Some kill more than others. Leadership requires the murder of people, sorry. That is why I would not want to be a leader. In the United States, such restrictions on the press are valid everywhere. I know this because I myself went through it. Ask my former [boss]. I had a lot of work, I have been doing this for 34 years and I know how everything works. And in Russia there is more censorship than in the USA. But in the United States this is a special business. So at a certain point, people can decide for themselves which countries, in their opinion, are better. Which systems, in their opinion, are better. I just want to know that he (Putin. - Approx. Ed.) Thinks. This was the whole point.

The source of the quote about Bucha and BBC “Checked” found in the Telegram channel “The empire is very evil", Where the corresponding post appeared on February 12 at 20:32 Moscow time (seven minutes before Markov’s recording) and scored more than 25,000 views. ““ I do not work for BBC, this is their project, ”Tucker Carlson explained the absence of questions about Buch in an interview with Putin,” the publication said.

"The Empire is very evil" is a satirical blog, which is directly It is said In his description: “Caution, a fake and a rigid satire are possible. Written is an artistic fiction, all coincidences are random. ” In social networks and the media, the fiction of this channel is not the first time for the first time Given For real news.