President Vladimir Putin has claimed Boris Johnson prevented peace talks, in his first interview with a western journalist since he launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to controversial rightwing US host Tucker Carlson, the Russian premier used the two-hour-long sit down to blame the West for prolonging the fighting, which started in February 2022.

Putin alleged former prime minister Johnson intervened during talks in Istanbul in 2022 and persuaded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to sign a peace deal, arguing that “it was better to fight Russia”.

Mr Johnson has previously rejected this claim as “total nonsense”.

During the interview, uploaded to Carlson's website, in which Putin was rarely challenged by host, the Russian leader focused on the conflict with Ukraine, as the war nears the two-year mark.