From Bin Laden To Pak To Nukes, When Putin Spoke To NDTV 23 Years Ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin's interview with NDTV 23 years ago has some lines that in hindsight seemed prophetic about the times today. From suspicion that Osama bin Laden could be hiding in Pakistan to the US' claims about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Putin shared Russia's stand on sensitive, high-stakes geopolitical issues of that time.

In 2002, a US-led coalition armed with the world's most advanced weaponry rolled into Iraq over allegations that the then President Saddam Hussein had been developing and hiding "weapons of mass destruction", or WMD as it was known that time.

Did the US action represent a hegemonic interest different from what Russia believes to be the correct course of action?

"We share the position of our US partners in the sense that we must make sure that Iraq is not developing weapons of mass destruction and has no such weapons in its possession. And although the world has changed, the tools, the international instruments that were used before to improve international relations can continue to be used and should be used and adapted to the present day situation. And they can be further improved," Putin told NDTV in a measured response.