Fox News host Tucker Carlson admitted on Monday that he cares little, if at all, about Russia and its dealings with Ukraine.
“Why do I care what is going on in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia?” Carlson exclaimed. “And I’m serious. Why do I care? Why shouldn’t I root for Russia? Which I am.”
Carlson later said he was joking about supporting Russia, but he did not walk back his earlier comments asking why he should care about Ukraine and its fight against Russian aggression.
Carlson’s sentiments are likely borne out of frustration with the role that Ukraine has recently played in U.S. politics. This seemingly inconsequential region has dominated the headlines for months as Democrats seek to impeach President Trump over his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is a fair concern, but one that could have been addressed without minimizing the very real, very potent threat Russia poses to U.S. national interests.
It is true that Russia’s military is not what it once was, just as it is true that its economy can’t hold a candle to America’s. But as my Washington Examiner colleague Tom Rogan wrote earlier this year, “the nature of Vladimir Putin’s threat is measured not by economics or military spending, but rather by its intent and action.”
Putin has already begun to amass global influence that could one day rival the U.S. He’s cozied up to Saudi Arabia, India, and most importantly, China, and he’s successfully obstructed U.S. policy interests in the United Nations. Meanwhile, Russia’s military continues to get stronger, as does its cyberattack capabilities.
This is why the Ukrainian front is so important. Putin wants to expand the Russian sphere of influence into Eastern Europe, and Ukraine has served as a roadblock to these efforts. Moving into Eastern Europe would allow Putin to weaken the European Union and NATO, which both serve as checks on Russia’s power.
Putin would not stop in Ukraine. He would move into Western Europe, too, if given the chance, and Russia’s nuclear capability suggests this could indeed become a real possibility if the U.S. and the West do not put a stop to Putin’s maneuvering.
Carlson isn’t naïve. He knows all of this. Still, he did a disservice to his viewers by conflating Ukraine’s political relevance in the U.S. with its strategic importance to U.S. interests. Russia might not be our top foe (right now, China is), but it is a critical threat that should not be tossed aside, regardless of what’s happening in U.S. politics.
