Putin completes quarter century, polls show he's still popular in Kremlin's hot seat

Exactly 25 years agone connected May 7, an obscure ex-KGB colonel Vladimir Putin -- with small nationalist vulnerability arsenic lawman politician of St Petersburg -- took the oath of the highest bureau successful the post-Communist Russia. A 4th period later, Putin, 72, inactive remains the astir fashionable person of Russia, arsenic was evident by past year's predetermination that Putin won with 88.48 per cent of votes polled.

In a TV documentary shown connected Sunday he, however, said that helium was looking for a successor, but it was not successful his powerfulness arsenic the successor would person to question a fashionable ballot successful the elections with beardown rivals.

For Putin, it has been a 25-year travel that has travel to coincide with Russia's travel successful the 21st century.

His predecessor Boris Yeltsin, Russia's archetypal straight elected president, had resigned owed to failing wellness connected the backdrop of governmental instability, fiscal and economic, militantancy successful the Northern Caucasus and a spate of violent attacks. He handed Putin - incumbent premier curate of the state - the blistery Kremlin spot connected the New Year eve, December 31, 1999.

Putin was elected connected March 26, 2000 bagging 53 per cent votes by beating Communist rival Gennady Zyuganov and wide Yabloko artifact person Grigory Yavlinsky successful "reasonably escaped and fair," polls according to a declassified US Embassy cablegram from Moscow successful 2024.

The mode Putin resolutely fought Chechen militancy, assured timely pensions to the astir susceptible conception of the nine and revived manufacturing successful the state generating employment, ensuring a 2nd word with astir 72 per cent votes.

Due to law restraint of 2 four-year consecutive terms, helium stepped speech and took implicit the occupation of premier curate nether President Dmitry Medvedev for 4 years.

Later, owed to Medvedev's law amendments, the Presidential word was extended to six years and successful 2012 and 2018 Putin was elected with 64.95 and 77.53 per cent votes respectively.

However, erstwhile the constitution was amended by nationwide ballot successful July 2020, helium was fixed the close to contention for 2 much six twelvemonth presumption till 2036.

In between, Russia had taken implicit Crimea successful a peaceful cognition connected the backdrop of chaos successful Ukraine, which Moscow claims was owed to a US doctored coup against the morganatic President Viktor Yanukovich successful March 2014.

Many years later, aft US-led NATO refused Putin's request not to further grow and springiness Russia 'equitable' information guarantees, Russia began a 'Special Military Operation' successful Ukraine connected February 24, 2022.

The latest sentiment canvass showed that Putin's popularity standing stood astatine 80 per cent adjacent arsenic the state is warring a warfare successful Ukraine with the corporate West amid crippling sanctions.

Putin won past year's predetermination with 88.48 per cent erstwhile the highest ever post-Soviet turnout of 77.49 per cent was recorded.

"We are facing a warfare with NATO, conscionable similar nether Tsar Alexander I with Napoleon, oregon nether Stalin with Nazi Germany. We hide our differences and solidly basal for our motherland whoever is the leader," said 72-year-old pensioner Tatiana P. Putin's India link

Retired Intelligence serviceman Vladimir Putin was moving astatine the St Petersburg State University, erstwhile section Mayor Anatoly Sobchak invited him to go lawman politician in-charge of overseas commercialized relations.

As locals callback Putin, a fluent German speaker, utilized to spell to receptions hosted lone by consulates of Germany and India, due to the fact that helium was to promote investments from Germans and wisely utilise Rupee indebtedness repayment mechanism.

He had developed precise affable relations with the past Indian Consul Dr Rameshchandra and developed a sensation for Indian cuisine. In a nationalist lawsuit successful 1996, helium intelligibly declared: "Those sitting successful the Kremlin bash not realise India's importance, we should put rupee indebtedness repayment funds for associated hi-tech projects."

Shortly aft this code successful the people of caller elections, his patron Anatoly Sobchak, mislaid his occupation and Putin was invited for a occupation successful the Kremlin office.

It was a play of governmental and economical turmoil successful the Russian capital, incumbent Boris Yeltsin was getting weaker and rival oligarchs were indulging successful infighting and getting richer by plundering the riches of the defunct Soviet empire. President Yeltsin appointed Putin arsenic the manager of Federal Security Service - FSB - equivalent to the US FBI.

On the backdrop of increasing Chechen militancy and fiscal default of 1998, Yeltsin appointed respective premier ministers and yet successful September 1999 Putin was appointed caput of the furniture earlier his assignment arsenic the caretaker president connected New Year eve successful 1999.

After his election, Putin visited India astatine the invitation of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the 2 leaders signed a strategical concern treaty, which volition besides implicit a 4th period this October.

Sharing his memories of Putin's archetypal authoritative sojourn to India, erstwhile Chief of the International Department of the Russian Defence Ministry, Lt Gen (rtd) Leonid Ivashov told PTI: "On the mode to Delhi, I told President Putin that helium tin make relations with antithetic countries but India is simply a peculiar lawsuit and should ever beryllium connected Russia's radar."

Gen Ivashov recalls that galore years aboriginal aft his retirement, helium was astatine a league attended by Putin: "The President walked up to maine and said, "I person not forgotten your proposal astir India."