Senator Tommy Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, has faced widespread criticism for defending Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News personality, aired an interview he conducted with Putin earlier this week on his website Thursday evening. Putin gave his first interview to Western media since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Tuberville turned to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday to express his thoughts on Carlson’s meeting with the Russian leader.
“Last night’s @TuckerCarlson interview with Putin demonstrates that Russia is open to a peace agreement, whilst DC warmongers want to extend the war. That is why I am voting to prevent 60 billion more of our tax dollars from being spent on this fight,” the senator added.
During his interview with Carlson, Putin stated that Russia was willing to hold peace negotiations with Ukraine, but that the United States was impeding the process.
“The President of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelensky] has legislated a ban on negotiating with Russia,” the Russian president stated. “He signed a decree prohibiting everyone from negotiating with Russia. But how will we bargain if he forbids himself and everyone else from doing this?”
The Russian leader went on to say, “We are eager to negotiate. It’s the Western perspective, and Ukraine is clearly a US satellite state…The current Ukrainian leadership should come to a bargaining table and repeal this foolish legislation. “We didn’t refuse.”
Tuberville’s statements drew criticism from X users, who criticized him for assuming Putin wants peace.
“If Vladimir Putin says it, it must be true, according to Tommy Tuberville,” said novelist and journalist Mark Jacob.
Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch and a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, wrote: “Tuberville believes Putin wants peace and the US wants war.” This is the newly formed MAGA Republican Party. Donald Trump’s party. Putin first!”
“They don’t call Tommy Tuberville America’s dumbest Senator for nothing,” Republicans against Trump wrote on their X account.
In an X post on Saturday, which included photographs of the wreckage of a fire at a Ukrainian home, Zelensky said, “Reality always speaks louder than any words.”
He added: “A whole family was killed in a fire last night as a result of a Russian strike on Kharkiv with ‘Shahed’ drones. Parents and three children were slain. Russia must be held accountable for every life that it has injured or destroyed. “This is the only way to restore security.”