AMANPOUR: Yes. So but you write in your book something pretty funny. You talk about going to see Putin on something. Anyway, he takes you into this office and he then asks if Bill Clinton would like to go tagging polar bears in the arctic.
CLINTON: Yes.
AMANPOUR: Really macho, right?
CLINTON: Yes. Yes.
AMANPOUR: And you say, well, I'll see about his schedule, but otherwise, I'll go.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: I did.
AMANPOUR: Yes, but the funny is that he gave you a funny look.
CLINTON: Yes.
AMANPOUR: As if this woman...
CLINTON: Yes. Yes...
AMANPOUR: Right?
CLINTON: -- well, he and I have...
AMANPOUR: (INAUDIBLE).
CLINTON: -- a -- a long distance verbal volleying relationship... (LAUGHTER) -- you know, most recently, the volley came from him and I've been trying to return it to him.
AMANPOUR: That was over Ukraine?
CLINTON: It was over -- well, it was over Ukraine. And I have criticized him for the invasion and annexation of Crimea and the continuing destabilization of Eastern Ukraine, which I think is very dangerous and -- and just plain wrong in -- in 2014, for European countries to be doing that. And also that I believe Russia has missed a great opportunity to really modernize its economy, not be dependent upon oil and gas, open it up more so it's not just, you know, in the possession of some of the oligarchs and -- and cronies of Putin's and not -- and so much else.
Yes, so he -- he and I go back and forth.
But that was a moment when I was able to make a connection with him. And that's why I write about it, because he always comes with an agenda. And if you ever see him on TV or in pictures, you know, he sits, you know, very kind of in a -- in a -- in a very aggressive way and just listens and sort of stares at you. And he never really agrees or has anything like a back and forth conversation. It's very dismissive.
So this had been going on with me in one of my meetings with him. But I knew that he cared about something I care about, which is wildlife conservation, particularly of endangered species.
So I -- I -- out of the blue, we were talking about something that he was not happy to be talking about. And I finally said, well, you know, President Putin, I understand that you are trying to save the tigers and the polar bears and other endangered species.
And he came awake. He sat up. He said come with me. He marched me out of the room. We went down the stairs, down the long hall into an office that surprised all of his security people, who jumped up, into an inner sanctum, just he and I. And we went way back to this room where he had this enormous map of Russia. And he said, let me show you where those endangered species are. And he was telling me about the tigers in Siberia and the polar bears and all that.
And then he said, I'm going to go up and tag them and -- and do you think your husband, Bill Clinton, would like to come?
And I said, well, I don't know, I'll ask him, but he's pretty busy. But, you know, I'll come if -- if he can't. The -- it was not reciprocated.
(LAUGHTER)
AMANPOUR: Yes, but that's my point. If you were president and a woman, it would be weird to deal with him, do you think?
CLINTON: No, because I think you have to deal with him with a combination of patience and persistence and strength. And therefore, it's -- changeup is not all bad, trying to figure out how you can find any common ground. I mean we have to stand our ground against him and his recent behavior. But we also need to keep trying to find common ground.
