Russian President Vladimir Putin (ALEXEI DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that it is his “duty” to stop gay people getting married so that people have more babies.

The Russian President made the claim in an extended interview with pro-Russian journalist Oliver Stone, which aired on Showtime in the US this week.

In the interview, Putin explains the rationale behind his anti-LGBT policies.

He said: “I can tell you this… as head of state today, I believe it’s my duty to uphold traditional values and family values.

“Why? Because same-sex marriages will not produce any children.

“God has decided, and we have to care about birth rates in our country. We have to reinforce families.

“That doesn’t mean that there should be any persecution against anyone.”

He also rallied against same-sex adoption, claiming it’s better for children to grow up in a “traditional” family.

The Russian leader said: “I cannot say that [gay adoption[ is welcomed by our public.

“I say this frankly. As in my view, children will have a freer choice when they become adults if they grow up in a traditional family.”

The leader alsp repeated his spurious claims that gay people do not face persecution in Russia, claiming the country is “rather liberal”.

He said: “there is no situation like in some Muslim countries where homosexuals face death penalty.

“We have no restrictions or harassment based on gender. Moreover, many people explicitly talk about their non-traditional sexual orientation.

“We maintain relations with them and many of them achieve outstanding results in their activity… they even get state awards and orders for their achievements.”

Russia passed a ‘gay propaganda’ law in 2013, which has been used to clamp down on LGBT people.

But Putin insisted: “The reasoning behind this law is to provide children with the opportunity to grow up without impacting their consciousness.

“When they grow up, they may take any decision on their future, including private and sexual ones.”

The Russian President Vladimir Putin also suggests he’d refuse to shower with a gay man in the interview.

In a discussion about the military, Stone had asked the leader: “If you’re taking a shower in a submarine with a man and you know he’s gay, do they have a problem with that?”

Putin responded: “Well, I prefer not to go to shower with him. Why provoke him?”

Related: French President Macron challenges Putin on LGBT rights