The president noted that Russia once backed US independence from the UK and supported the Union in the Civil War

Russia has had long periods of amicable relations with the US and supported America at key junctures in its history, President Vladimir Putin has said.

In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, a clip of which was released on Sunday, Putin offered an upbeat take on Russia's longstanding ties with the US despite the recent tensions over the Ukraine conflict.

"By the way, as for the Americans, we have had... over a very long period of time, very friendly and special relations with the United States," Putin said.

Putin pointed to Russia's support for the US push to break from British rule during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. "We really supplied them, even supplied weapons, helped with money, and so on."

He also referenced Russia's alignment with the Union during the 1861-1865 American Civil War. "Later we supported the North during the war between North and South," Putin said, adding, "And in this sense, we found something that united us."

The comments come as US President Donald Trump has been seeking to broker an end to the Ukraine conflict. Moscow and Washington have been exploring ways to repair relations that hit historic lows under the previous US administration.

Despite major periods of rivalry, the history between Russia and the US is dotted with notable moments of partnership. Apart from the instances mentioned by Putin, the two countries engaged in bustling economic cooperation in the 1930s, which helped the Soviet Union to industrialize while aiding US businesses reeling from the Great Depression.

The two nations then became wartime allies in World War II, fighting Nazi Germany and coordinating under the Lend-Lease program, which saw Washington make large shipments of arms and supplies to Moscow.

While the Cold War ushered in decades of tension, which climaxed during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, the US and Soviet Union still managed to negotiate landmark arms control deals aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear war.