Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone is set to release his four-part documentary, ‘The Putin Interviews’, this week, which is based on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shot over two years with ‘unparalleled’ access to Putin, who is described as one of the world’s most controversial, dangerous, powerful and influential people in the trailer, Stone quizzes the leader on allegations of tampering the US elections, President Donald Trump and whistleblower Edward Snowden among other things.
While there is very little known about Putin, who has held office since 2012, the series keeps the spotlight entirely on him with no counter-narrative or interviews with opposition figures. The documentary, set in Putin’s everyday environment, also explains his background and where he comes from.
“I am not a woman, so I don’t have bad days,” Putin tells Stone in the trailer. “I am not trying to insult anyone. That’s just the nature of things. There are certain natural cycles.”
When asked if the US would dominate in a war, Putin responds, “I don’t think anyone would survive such a conflict.” On President Donald Trump winning the election, he says there is always hope for change, “until they’re ready to bring us to the cemetery and bury us.”
He describes NATO as a ‘mere instrument’ of foreign policy of the US “It has no allies, it has only vassals,” he adds. “Once a country becomes a NATO member, it is hard to resist the pressures of the US” He says Russia is acutely responding to the expansion of NATO because it understands the threat posed by the organisation, and that its concerned about the practice of how decisions are taken.
On Snowden, Putin says, “Snowden is not a traitor. He didn’t betray the interests of his country. Nor did he transfer information to any other country. The only thing Snowden does, he does publicly.” When asked if he thinks the national security agency went to far in its eavesdropping, he replies, “Yes, certainly. In that matter, Snowden was right.” However, he says Snowden shouldn’t have done what he did. (Indian Express)
