Some of what Putin told Tucker Carlson missed the bigger picture. This fills in the gaps

By The Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down in the Kremlin for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. For two hours, Putin put forth the Kremlin line on various aspects of the war in neighboring Ukraine, including Russia’s justifications for sending its troops into the country. He blamed both Ukraine and the West for the start of the war. He also raised the possibility of talks to end the conflict, urging a negotiated settlment. Putin also addressed the case of Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal who has been jailed on espionage charges since March 2023, and he suggested the possibility of a prisoner swap.