Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a more than two-hour interview to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was released online Thursday, covering a variety of topics, from Ukraine to the Russian economy, but breaking little new ground.

Putin told Carlson that Russia has not achieved its war aims in its widely condemned invasion of neighboring Ukraine, and he began the interview with a roughly 20-minute-long, mostly uninterrupted, speech about history that included the days of Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796.

Carlson at one point flattered Putin and said it was not boring but added, "I just don't know how it's relevant."

NBC News has not been provided any details about the circumstances under which the interview was recorded. Putin spoke in Russian, and the translation was provided by Carlson's show.

Putin did not rule out that Russia could release jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who the U.S. says is being wrongfully detained, but suggested that the U.S. would have to make a deal.

There is an "ongoing dialogue between the special services," he said.

"We want the U.S. special services to think about how they can contribute to achieving the goals our special services are pursuing. We are ready to talk. Moreover, the talks are underway," Putin said.

The Wall Street Journal dismissed Putin's claim that Gershkovich, 32, was involved in "espionage," but it said Thursday it was encouraged by any deal that could bring him home.

"Evan is a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. Any portrayal to the contrary is total fiction. Evan was unjustly arrested and has been wrongfully detained by Russia for nearly a year for doing his job, and we continue to demand his immediate