A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter.

Clarissa Ward

CNN’s chief international correspondent null

Clarissa Ward, CNN’s chief international correspondent, remarked, adding that it was “clear from the very beginning” of the interview that Carlson did “not have control.”

TASS

Immediately after Carlson published the chat online, Putin’s mouthpieces rushed to amplify it. TASS featured the sit-down as the top story on its homepage, amplifying Putin’s claim that Ukraine is an “artificial state” and devoting an entire section of its website to special coverage of the interview.

RT

RT, the English-language broadcaster now exiled from much of the Western world, aired significant swaths of the interview on its air. “VLADIMIR PUTIN’S INTERVIEW GAINS OVER 20 MILLION VIEWERS IN FIRST TWO HOURS,” RT boasted in one on-screen graphic.

Dmitry Peskov

Putin’s own spokesperson null

Putin’s own spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters this week that Carlson was selected because he “has a position that is different from the rest” of Western media.

Ted Mann

Reporter at The Wall Street Journal null

Ted Mann, a reporter at the newspaper, wrote on X that it was “disgraceful of Carlson to suggest Evan was ‘breaking [their] law.’” “He wasn’t,” Mann added. “Carlson knows that. Evan is a law-abiding, decent reporter being held hostage for geopolitical leverage. He should be released immediately.”

The Wall Street Journal

The Journal also released a statement following the interview. “Evan is a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Any portrayal to the contrary is total fiction,” the newspaper said. “Evan was unjustly arrested and has been wrongfully detained by Russia for nearly a year for doing his job, and we continue to demand his immediate release.”