BRUSSELS, February 8. /TASS/. The EU is not discussing imposing sanctions against US journalist Tucker Carlson for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a source in the delegation of one of the EU countries to the Council of the European Union told a TASS correspondent.

"No, there is no talk of imposing sanctions against him now," the diplomat said, commenting on a report by the weekly Newsweek saying Carlson could be sanctioned by the EU.

According to the source, the EU needs "a legal basis proving that an individual or a legal entity threatens and undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" to impose restrictive measures against someone. "We do not have any serious grounds at this stage for blacklisting this journalist," he added.

Earlier, Newsweek, citing current and former members of the European Parliament (MEPs), reported that US journalist Tucker Carlson could be placed on EU sanctions lists for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to MEP and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, the interview with the Russian leader could turn Carlson into a target for EU lawmakers. He expressed the opinion that the journalist is "a mouthpiece" for former President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Verhofstadt added that the EU would impose sanctions against "anyone who helps" the Russian leader.

Former MEP Luis Garicano agreed with Verhofstadt and told Newsweek that Carlson could no longer be considered a reporter, as he had become a "propagandist."

In turn, another MEP Urmas Paet, commenting on the interview, said that "one can get on a sanctions list" for propagandizing the position of the Russian authorities. "This refers, above all, to a ban on entry to EU countries," Paet summarized.

The story of the interview

Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Carlson met and spoke with Putin. The journalist later said the interview would be published on his website on February 9 at 2:00 a.m. Moscow time (11:00 p.m. GMT February 8).

On Tuesday, Carlson said he would now seek a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, all of whose previous interviews to US media have nothing to do with journalism but propaganda.