''Expected tougher questions from Tucker Carlson,'' says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude towards right-wing US television host Tucker Carlson for their recent interview but voiced surprise over the absence of ''sharp questions'' during the discussion.

According to The Guardian, during a two-hour interview released by former Fox News star Carlson in Moscow last week, Putin expected a more assertive approach from Carlson, according to comments aired on Russian TV presenter Pavel Zarubin's show on Wednesday.

"I thought that he would behave aggressively and ask so-called sharp questions. I was not just prepared for this, I wanted it, because it would give me the opportunity to respond in the same way," Putin remarked.

Despite the anticipation, there was no immediate response from Carlson following the interview, aside from praising the quality of Moscow’s subway system.

This interview marked Putin's first engagement with an American journalist since Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. Putin emphasized the need for dialogue with the West, acknowledging Carlson's role as an intermediary.

"Since we are not able to have direct dialogue [with the west] today … we have to be grateful to Mr Carlson to be able to do it by his intermediary" role, Putin said.

The Kremlin cited Carlson's differing approach from the "one-sided" reporting on the Ukraine conflict by many Western news outlets as the reason behind agreeing to the interview.

While some Western media outlets criticized Carlson for the lack of tough questions, Putin noted that Carlson had "tried to interrupt me several times" but commended the journalist's "patience."

In a candid moment during the interview with Zarubin, Putin expressed his preference for Joe Biden over Donald Trump but asserted Russia's willingness to cooperate with any US president.

"Biden. He is a more experienced, predictable person, a politician of the old school," Putin replied when asked who was "better for us" between Biden and Trump.

Leaks from Kremlin documents in 2021 suggested Putin had authorized a secret operation to support a "mentally unstable" Donald Trump during the 2016 US presidential election, underscoring Russia's strategic objectives. Despite the leaked documents, Putin reiterated his readiness to collaborate with any US administration, emphasizing the importance of American people's confidence in their elected leader.

[With information sourced from The Guardian]