Vladimir Putin

 

Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as the President of the Russian Federation since 2012. He previously served as president from 2000 to 2008, and as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000, and again from 2008 to 2012.

Born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1952, Putin studied law at Leningrad State University and joined the KGB, the Soviet Union's security agency, in 1975. He served in various roles in the KGB and its successor agency, the FSB, before entering politics in 1991.

In 1999, Putin was appointed Prime Minister of Russia by President Boris Yeltsin, and when Yeltsin resigned on December 31, 1999, Putin became acting President. He won a presidential election in 2000 and was reelected in 2004. In 2008, due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third consecutive term, and he was succeeded by his protégé Dmitry Medvedev. However, Putin remained a prominent figure in Russian politics and was appointed Prime Minister by Medvedev.

In 2012, Putin was once again elected President, and he has since been reelected in 2018. Putin is known for his authoritarian leadership style, and his government has been accused of numerous human rights violations, censorship, and repression of political opposition. His government has also been criticized for its annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.