Putin Should Be Held Accountable for His Actions

Putin's actions as dictator of Russia have been violent, oppressive, and detrimental to democracy. It is essential to hold him accountable for these offenses, including his involvement in Russia's attack on Ukraine. This article provides information on why Putin needs to be held accountable for his blatant lies and rewriting of history, specifically around the war in Ukraine.

The following are six main questions that Carlson should have asked Putin during their interview but didn't because of Putin's manipulative track record:

1. You seem to be very interested in history. So why are credible Russian historians like Yuri Dmitriev, who have exposed the atrocities committed by Stalin's executioners, being jailed on trumped-up charges? Russian historian Anatoly Razumov says the authorities have turned the clock back to the Communist era and are weaponizing history to promote their ideological agenda.
2. Why is it that serious and credible candidates are not allowed to run against you in elections? There are patterns of opposition figures and critics being murdered, nearly killed, or jailed, suggesting that you are either orchestrating these events or completely unaware of what is going on around you.
3. What happened to your old St. Petersburg friend, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who you said had "made serious mistakes in his life" after a plane crash killed him? Did he make the mistake of criticizing you and your generals for the conduct of the war against Ukraine? Did you have him killed?
4. Why is it that Russian journalists who are reporting on the war against Ukraine have been forced into exile, with the EC concluding that the Russian regime has become increasingly intolerant of independent media?
5. Despite your pride in Russia's new hypersonic missile, the program has been plagued by the deaths and arrests of the scientists involved in its development. At least a dozen scientists have been detained, and three have died in questionable circumstances. How do you explain this?
6. In 2014, you denied any involvement in the appearance of armed, masked men in Crimea, nicknamed "little green men" by the Western media. You later insisted that there was no pre-planned Russian intervention - it was all spontaneous. Later, you admitted that Russian special forces were involved in the events leading up to the illegal annexation of Crimea. Given this track record, why should anyone believe anything you say now?

These questions address problematic patterns in Putin's dictatorship and his recent assertions regarding the war in Ukraine. Carlson's leniency and accommodation of Putin's manipulative tendencies were alarming, and he must be more scrutinized in his approach to interviewing dictators.

Carlson's lack of critical questioning allows Putin to evade accountability for his crimes, and such interviews are detrimental to the cause of promoting democracy and human rights.

It is crucial to hold Putin and other oppressive leaders accountable for their actions and to support efforts to promote democracy, justice, and freedom.