Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ???????? ???????????? ?????, {{Audio|ru-Putin.ogg|pronunciation}}, Pútin; born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and the current President of the Russian Federation. He succeeded Boris Yeltsin on December 31, 1999.

Chechnya

Putin's rise to public office coincided with an aggressive resurgence of the war in Chechnya in August 1999. Both in Russia and abroad, Putin's public image was forged by his tough handling of the dire challenge posed by Chechen extremists. During the bitter autumn 1999 campaign for the Duma, pro-Kremlin politicians and media accused Putin's chief rivals of being soft on terrorism, and ratcheted up accusations claiming that the Chechens' military campaign was being supported and supplied by Western intelligence agencies bent on humiliating and weakening Russia. On assuming the role of acting President on December 31, 1999, Putin proceeded on a previously scheduled visit to Russian troops in the North Caucasus; carefully orchestrated public relations coverage showed him presenting hunting knives to soldiers. Throughout the winter of 2000, Putin's government regularly claimed that victory was at hand. In recent years, Putin has distanced himself from the management of the continuing conflict.

Related Topics:
War in - Chechnya

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