Vladimir Putin has told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that Washington should recognise Moscow’s interests and persuade Ukraine to sit down for talks. The Russian president also said he believes a deal can be reached to release US reporter Evan Gershkovich, in Russia detained last March. Thursday night’s interview is the first time Putin has sat down with a Western journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Russian leader repeated many well-worn justifications about the conflict, including that it was necessary to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine and prevent the country from …