Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened the US with a global war that will “bring humanity to the brink” if it deploys troops to Ukraine.

Putin told Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, that Russia would “fight to the end” to defend its interests and urged the White House to focus on domestic issues.

“If somebody has the desire to send regular troops, that would certainly bring humanity to the brink of a very serious global conflict,” he said.

“Don’t you have anything better to do? You have issues on the border. Issues with migration, issues with the national debt. More than US$33 trillion.

“Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate with Russia? Make an agreement. Already understanding the situation that is developing today, realising that Russia will fight for its interests to the end.”

The interview, which was recorded on Tuesday according to the Kremlin, has streamed on Carlson’s website and has been posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

The high-profile sit-down marks the first time the Russian leader has agreed to an interview with a Western media outlet since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the BBC.

Carlson, a former Fox News host, said that media outlets had not “bothered” to speak to the Russian president while producing “fawning interviews” with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian leader.

During the interview, Putin said he had a “very good relationship” with Donald Trump and George W. Bush during their times as US President.

He said Bush was often seen as a “country boy who does not understand much” but clarified that “this is not the case”.

“In general, on a personal human level, I had a very good relationship with him,” the Russian president said.

“He was no worse than any other American or Russian or European politician. I assure you he understood what he was doing as well as others.

“I had such a personal relationship with Trump as well. It is not about the personality of the leader.”

Putin launched into the history of Russia as he explained his decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022, something that confused Carlson.

“I’m not sure why it’s relevant to what happened two years ago,” Carlson said.

Throughout the interview, Putin claimed the West is more afraid of China than Russia, because the country’s potential was “enormous”.

He told Carlson “the West is afraid of a strong China” because of the size of the population.

“And its economy is growing by leaps and bounds, or 5 per cent a year. China’s potential is enormous,” Putin said.

According to the Telegraph, Russia felt tricked by Nato at the end of the Cold War. Putin claimed the “aggressive” actions of Nato meant Russia was never welcomed into the fold and the US was to blame.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson interviews Russian President Vladimir Putin on 6/02/2024. Photo / via X

He claimed Russia was promised Nato would not expand eastward, but it has since expanded five times.

Russia would have joined Nato, but says former president Bill Clinton rejected Russia when approached.

“It’s not possible,” Clinton said at the time.

If the US had said yes, things might be very different between Ukraine and Russia, Putin said.

After “five waves of expansion”, Nato went too far. In 2008, at the summit in Bucharest, Nato declared that the “doors for Ukraine and Georgia to join Nato were open”, Putin said in the interview.

And now, in Ukraine, Putin claimed he willingly pulled troops from Kyiv to facilitate a peace deal in 2022. Once they were out, however, Putin said: “Ukrainian negotiators immediately threw all our agreements in the bin”.

Ukraine claims they forced Russia out with a series of counterattacks.

Putin says without the US, the war in Ukraine would have been over within weeks.

“If you really want to stop fighting, you need to stop supplying weapons.”

During the interview Putin claimed Boris Johnson urged Ukraine against signing a peace deal with Russia, saying the former UK Prime Minister had a “pure heart” but “not a great mind”.

“The fact that they obey the demand or persuasion of Mr Johnson, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, seems ridiculous,” the Russian leader said.

“And it’s very sad to me because ... we could have stopped those hostilities with war a year and a half ago already.

“But the British persuaded us and we refused this. Where is Mr Johnson now? And the war continues.”

Carlson did press Putin in regards to Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia since March 23, according to The Guardian.

Putin claimed Gershovich, 32, was “caught red-handed” gathering confidential information.

The Kremlin is now “ready to talk” about the future of Gershkovich, provided the US consider how it can contribute to the goals of Russia, said Putin.

- additional reporting Telegraph