Russian President Vladimir Putin says that early on in his tenure he floated the idea of Russia joining NATO. In a series of interviews with American film director Oliver Stone, Putin said he inquired about Russia joining the alliance when then-U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Moscow in 2000. In the segments, Putin portrays Russia under his leadership as seeking to improve ties, but frustrated by Washington's "imperialist mentality." Despite Putin's onetime interest in joining NATO, in the interviews he criticized the alliance for expanding eastward to Russia's borders. After Putin noted that there is no formal prohibition of gays in the military, Stone asked if Putin would take a shower on a submarine with a gay crewman.

Source: ABC News June 12, 2017 09:27 UTC