# Russian propaganda quotes Tucker Carlson to malign US and spread disinformation about Ukraine

Tucker Carlson falsely claimed that Ukraine is an autocracy. Ukraine is a democracy that has struggled but a democracy nonetheless.

Hoaxlines • Feb 22, 2022

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<br/>

*Russian propaganda featured Tucker Carlson*

[Multiple](https://gyazo.com/6f6dcc58919d53391484d5bcfb37b1c7) [outlets](https://archive.ph/WehEx) [associated](https://gyazo.com/e68dfff829f57e92b8188da5277b2aab) with the Kremlin (including one in [Pakistan](https://gyazo.com/ed4e4d6758d48eedb09bf97e7d010db4)) have published stories rationalizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—while simultaneously insisting its only peacekeeping. Russian state-controlled outlets like [RT](https://www.state.gov/report-rt-and-sputniks-role-in-russias-disinformation-and-propaganda-ecosystem/) and [Fondsk.ru](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-coronavirus-pandemic-health-moscow-media-ff4a56b7b08bcdc6adaf02313a85edd9) have [republished](https://archive.ph/WehEx) clips of Tucker Carlson in articles that falsely [claim](https://gyazo.com/d0d9bd8dfe4c4742e4419fd2e37a6133) that Ukraine is an autocracy when it is an [imperfect](https://www.usaid.gov/ukraine/democracy-human-rights-and-governance#:~:text=WORK%20WITH%20US-,DEMOCRACY%2C%20HUMAN%20RIGHTS%20AND%20GOVERNANCE,accountability%20of%20political%20parties%20and%20elected%20officials%20before%20their%20constituents.,-Current%20programs%3A) democracy.

## Russian RT
- Fox News: US should recognize Russian interests in Ukraine \[[en](https://gyazo.com/5133a34b992268cdc772abc520807d3e), [ru](https://gyazo.com/7c9dac0e8105bb5ad785bc0ab023189e)\]
- Fox News: The failed invasion made Biden a laughingstock \[[en](https://gyazo.com/bc81b8861def9ec30cf911c02a1b93eb), [ru](https://gyazo.com/6a87d4b345becdfcd816178335d0bec8)\]
- American colonel: US must recognize Russian interests in Ukraine \[[en](https://gyazo.com/8f93dd7d050ce9f7c7a9c86a5f1d7ada), [ru](https://gyazo.com/72b0c78d3bbd3c10ab048482f0e768db)\]

## Fondsk[.]ru
* Fox News: US should recognize Russian interests in Ukraine \[[en](https://gyazo.com/5133a34b992268cdc772abc520807d3e), [ru](https://gyazo.com/1df3925d92e6ed1409864eadc6fb9ec4)\]

## ryb[.]ru
* American Colonel - US must recognize Russia's interests in Ukraine \[[en](https://gyazo.com/83ecaf0d247b02c4a7e5d95fae73a0e7), [ru](https://gyazo.com/900d7bfe4f10de32070fb28b8159e213)\]

- This was a republication of the RT article.

## Live Journal
- Fox News: US Must Recognize Russia's Interests in Ukraine \[[en](https://gyazo.com/cfc2df6661e5aeffce3fd6d68570de58), [ru](https://gyazo.com/1aae6e9c212d967414ee34990f39caa4)\]
- This was a republication of the RT article.

Carlson claimed that Ukraine was the President’s son’s former employer, which is false. Hunter Biden was formerly employed by the [privately held](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burisma) company Burisma, not Ukraine, and [multiple](https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-09-23/senate-republicans-issue-findings-on-hunter-bidens-ukraine-work) investigations into [both](https://www.politifact.com/article/2020/oct/19/looking-claims-about-hunter-biden-and-senate-gop-r/#:~:text=There%20is%20a,these%20individual%20reports.%22%C2%A0) [have not](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gop-report-wrongdoing-biden-son-ties-ukraine-firm/story?id=73192146) [found](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gop-report-wrongdoing-biden-son-ties-ukraine-firm/story?id=73192146) misconduct or evidence that these affiliations affected policy.

Fondsk.ru supported its claims by linking to the Fox News [article](https://gyazo.com/644817071ca0bc582b42993662990f3d) version of the segment, which was titled “Biden's 'infinite ignorance' in speech makes Russian invasion of Ukraine 'inevitable': Col. Macgregor.”

## Key issues were that Carlson:

#### Omitted relevant information
- Carlson uncritically repeated Russian claims while omitting concrete evidence that contradicts the Russian claims.
- Neglected to mention United States’ objections to Putin’s demands
- Failed to provide context that Russia had illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, an assault that has claimed 14,000 lives so far.

#### Inaccuracies and false claims
- Claimed that Ukraine was Hunter Biden’s former employer
- Claimed that Ukraine was an autocracy
- Asserted that Putin invaded because Biden ignored Putin’s concerns while ignoring Putin’s list of demands that the US did not have the power to oblige.

#### [Hyperpartisan bias](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461444820910416)
- Carlson’s distaste for Biden extends [beyond](https://gyazo.com/28e6a8accd896daa6bca209c1cd17cdc) policy disagreement, and Carlson frequently [makes](https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/tucker-carlson-face-fox-news-just-gave-his-full-endorsement-white-nationalist) [false](https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/tucker-carlson-lies-about-joe-biden-planning-pay-black-people-smoke-more-crack), [unprofessional](https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/right-wing-media-target-bidens-harm-reduction-program-misinformation-racism-and-attacks#:~:text=From%20the%20February%208%2C%202022%2C%20edition%20of%20Fox%20News%27%C2%A0Tucker%20Carlson%20Tonight) statements about [members](https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/tucker-carlson-hunter-biden-he-got-gig-because-his-dad-who-was-influence-peddling) of the Biden family. The claims sometimes have an unclear rationale or no relationship to their professions.
- Ad Fontes's [media bias](https://adfontesmedia.com/tucker-carlson-tonight-bias-reliability/) [assessment](https://gyazo.com/de923389991aea1708083476cbff127e), an evidence-based evaluation of media coverage that includes bipartisan evaluators for every article, rated Tucker Carlson’s show unreliable and biased.

## Russia falsely claims US ignored its concerns


*Screenshot of Russian state-controlled outlet' Fondsk.ru’s [article](https://archive.ph/WehEx)*

[Tucker Carlson](https://gyazo.com/8f93dd7d050ce9f7c7a9c86a5f1d7ada), [Sputnik](https://gyazo.com/6f6dcc58919d53391484d5bcfb37b1c7), [Fondsk.ru](https://gyazo.com/5133a34b992268cdc772abc520807d3e), and [RT](https://gyazo.com/8f93dd7d050ce9f7c7a9c86a5f1d7ada) argue Biden ignored Russia’s concerns — [a false claim](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/us/politics/russia-demands-us-ukraine.html), as the US responded in a televised announcement and writing— and that ignoring Russia caused the invasion. The Sputnik [article](https://gyazo.com/6f6dcc58919d53391484d5bcfb37b1c7) bolsters it’s claims with a quote from the Ron Paul Institute, which [falsely](https://archive.ph/Cx4N7) [claimed](https://gyazo.com/2a3b6148f276ddf3c2d535d043cef142) that the US was behind a [2014 coup](https://twitter.com/DisinfoPortal/status/1004342917383802880?s=20&t=2JDvpal1bHQ9XYulbAfgpA) in Ukraine early this month.

> But we consistently did not recognize their legitimate interests in Ukraine - the interests of security. They will not tolerate Ukraine becoming a platform from which NATO could threaten Russia. Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, they see NATO as an anti-Russian organization and as a threat. I think (Biden’s) statements have likely made Russia's intervention in Ukraine inevitable.
>
-- Tucker Carlson, as [quoted](https://archive.ph/3NB0g#:~:text=But%20we%20consistently,in%20Ukraine%20inevitable.) by RT

<br/>

The West has [repeatedly](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/02/15/remarks-by-president-biden-providing-an-update-on-russia-and-ukraine/#:~:text=Nations%20have%20a%20right%20to%20sovereignty%20and%20territorial%20integrity.%C2%A0%20They%20have%20the%20freedom%20to%20set%20their%20own%20course%20and%20choose%20with%20whom%20they%20will%20associate.) [addressed](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/26/us/politics/russia-demands-us-ukraine.html) Putin’s demands and not ignored them. Ukraine’s sovereignty [is not](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/02/15/remarks-by-president-biden-providing-an-update-on-russia-and-ukraine/#:~:text=Nations%20have%20a%20right%20to%20sovereignty%20and%20territorial%20integrity.%C2%A0%20They%20have%20the%20freedom%20to%20set%20their%20own%20course%20and%20choose%20with%20whom%20they%20will%20associate.) the United States’ to give away.

AP [reported](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-putin-nato-87d17dd0c1943ac40b3903b54f31939a#:~:text=Washington%20and%20its,for%20all%20nations.) February 1, 2022:

> Washington and its allies have rejected Moscow’s key demands. They emphasize that Ukraine, like any other nation, has the right to choose alliances, although it is not a NATO member now and is unlikely to join any time soon.
>
> Putin said the Western allies’ refusal to meet Russia’s demands violates their obligations on the integrity of security for all nations.

Putin’s [demands](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-russia-ukraine-invasion-nato-biden-rcna13245) included making security decisions for Ukraine, which was not something the US had the power to grant. Putin [stated](https://www.politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-demand-western-security-guarantees-end-threat-ukraine-invasion/#:~:text=Russia%20not%20invading%20Ukraine%20will%20hinge%20on%20%E2%80%9Cunconditional%20compliance%20with%20Russian%20security%20demands%E2%80%9D) that Russia not invading Ukraine would depend upon “unconditional compliance with Russian security demands.”

In December 2021, US Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) discussed Russia’s proposals. RadioFreeEurope [reported](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-us-risch-troop-buildup/31616014.html#:~:text=The%20top%20Republican%20on%20the%20U.S.%20Senate%20Foreign%20Relations%20Committee%20says%20the%20security%20proposals%20that%20Moscow%20has%20put%20forth%20in%20response%20to%20Western%20alarm%20over%20a%20Russian%20troop%20buildup%20near%20Ukraine%20are%20a%20clear%20sign%20that%20Russia%20is%20%E2%80%9Ctrying%20to%20create%20a%20pretext%20for%20war.%E2%80%9D):

> The top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee says the security proposals that Moscow has put forth in response to Western alarm over a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine are a clear sign that Russia is “trying to create a pretext for war.”

Russia indicated [around](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/15/ukraine-russia-nato-putin-germany/) February 15 that troops were withdrawing from the Ukrainian border. [Satellite](https://gyazo.com/839389c3a83cde1b064a21fe21690588) [images](https://gyazo.com/b3eb546fe9668d726cfafcc22ca6482f) and [eye-witness](https://twitter.com/MotolkoHelp/status/1494667171972141061?s=20&t=INxS006VnD8YOq83CznkMQ) [accounts](https://twitter.com/IntelDoge/status/1493741504275394560?s=20&t=fb8bhqiLriN-Zf-DcOeV9g) [demonstrated ](https://twitter.com/noclador/status/1494618691983613960?s=20&t=Tffth8ZQnNdxT6LaM3DSlQ)[Russia](https://twitter.com/danvan71/status/1495814581997998080?s=20&t=RjZxA1eHqjAbqM_qI5XsaA) [had not](https://twitter.com/Michael1Sheldon/status/1495548898944897028?s=20&t=q7DzGY8i5AjcwndRRd2RyQ) [begun to](https://twitter.com/YWNReporter/status/1495764242846392332) [withdraw](https://twitter.com/4emberlen/status/1496093439938764800?s=20&t=Z3KnXIylo_fxufnLsF_NcA). The West was willing to negotiate arms control if Russia de-escalated by removing equipment and troops.

## How do we know these outlets are state-controlled?

The outlets mentioned in this report and linked sources are as follows:

- [Fondsk.ru](https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-coronavirus-pandemic-health-moscow-media-ff4a56b7b08bcdc6adaf02313a85edd9#:~:text=The%20Strategic%20Culture%20Foundation%20is%20accused%20of%20controlling%20the%20websites%20Odna%20Rodyna%20and%20Fondsk.%20The%20foundation%E2%80%99s%20director%2C%20Vladimir%20Maximenko%2C%20has%20met%20with%20SVR%20handlers%20multiple%20times%20since%202014%2C%20officials%20alleged.)
- [Strategic Culture Foundation](https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Pillars-of-Russia%E2%80%99s-Disinformation-and-Propaganda-Ecosystem_08-04-20.pdf)
- [RT News](https://www.state.gov/report-rt-and-sputniks-role-in-russias-disinformation-and-propaganda-ecosystem/)
- [Sputnik News](https://www.state.gov/report-rt-and-sputniks-role-in-russias-disinformation-and-propaganda-ecosystem/)

Articles that republished quotes or clips from Tucker Carlson have been identified as under the control of or affiliated with the Russian state by a US government agency or a respected research organization. In some cases, both have identified outlets.

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###### tags: `Hoaxlines` `Ukraine` `pro-kremlin` `hyperpartisan`