Vladimir Putin: A Controversial Figure and Russia's Strongman Leader

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has been the President of the Russian Federation since 2012 and previously served as President from 2000 to 2008. Putin was born on October 7, 1952, in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia.

Putin's career began in the KGB, the Soviet Union's security agency, where he served as an intelligence officer from 1975 to 1991. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin entered politics and served as the Mayor of Saint Petersburg from 1991 to 1996. He then moved to Moscow and was appointed as the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the KGB's successor agency, in 1998.

Photo: Wikipedia

When Boris Yeltsin, Russia's then-president, resigned on December 31, 1999, Putin took over as acting president. Yeltsin had chosen Putin as prime minister in 1999. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and was returned to office in 2004. Constitutionally, he was supposed to leave office after two terms, however, he continued to serve as Prime Minister under Dmitry Medvedev until taking office again in 2012. He was re-elected in 2018 and will likely hold office through 2024.

During his presidency, Putin has overseen the modernization of the Russian military, the expansion of the Russian economy, and the strengthening of the Russian state. He has also been criticized for his authoritarianism, human rights abuses, and for interfering in the democratic processes of other countries.

Putin's efforts to reestablish Russia's worldwide influence and subvert Western domination have come to define his foreign policy. He has adopted a course of "managed democracy," which has come under fire for stifling political opposition and the media. Additionally, Putin has been charged with interfering with both the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and the 2016 US presidential election.

Despite his controversial reputation, Putin remains a popular figure in Russia and has been praised for his efforts to restore Russian pride and influence on the world stage.