Oliver Stone’s own extended interview with Putin is forthcoming next week on Showtime

Defending despots isn’t easy, but director Oliver Stone is up to the task. He has fawned over Hugo Chavez and has called Adolf Hitler a “scapegoat.” Now, the once-respected filmmaker is valiantly defending the Russian strongman Vladimir V. Putin against NBC host Megyn Kelly. At issue is the interview Kelly conducted with Putin on Sunday, an…