Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Edward Snowden’s release of classified government documents was the wrong thing to do, but he doesn’t think the whistleblower betrayed his country.
“Snowden is not a traitor. He didn’t betray the interests of his country,” Putin says in a new preview of Oliver Stone’s Showtime docu-series “The Putin Interviews,” which premieres June 12.
But when Stone asks if Putin “agreed” with Snowden’s actions, Putin responds, “No.”
Putin explains that he agrees with Snowden that the U.S. National Security Agency “went too far” in its cybersecurity actions, but he doesn’t believe blowing the whistle was the right thing to do.
“If he didn’t like anything at his work he should have simply resigned,” he says through a translator in the clip (above). “But he went further.”
Stone then asks Putin about Russia’s intelligence services, which the Putin says are “working quite well.”
“Our intelligence services always conform to the law,” he says. “That’s the first thing. And secondly, trying to spy on your allies, if you really consider them allies and not vassals, is just indecent. Because it undermines trust. And it means that in the end it deals damage to your own national security.”
“The Putin Interviews” is produced by Fernando Sulichin, who previously worked with Stone on “The Untold History of the United States” and “Snowden.” The series will run over four consecutive nights on Showtime, beginning Monday, June 12.
Watch the new trailer for the series below: