"The Putin Interviews," a new Showtime series by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Oliver Stone, and a corresponding book, couldn't come at a more perfect time. Stone hopes the show and the excerpts of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin will help ease tensions between the U.S. and Russia—tensions that are growing every day.

Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer, who wrote the foreword for "The Putin Interviews" transcript, sat down with Stone, who is also a producer, to discuss his experience interviewing Putin over several years. The conversation, sponsored by Truthdig and KPFK, took place Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Watch the conversation below.

—Posted by Emma Niles