Vladimir Putin
1952– · Russian (Leningrad/St. Petersburg / Moscow) · Post-Soviet Russia, 21st Century
Known for: President of Russia for 20+ years—former KGB officer who reasserted Russian power and invaded Ukraine
Putin rose from KGB intelligence officer to President of Russia, systematically consolidating power, eliminating opposition (through imprisonment, exile, or assassination), controlling media, and rebuilding Russian military capacity. He invaded Georgia (2008), annexed Crimea (2014), and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine (2022).
He's restored Russian great-power ambitions while presiding over a kleptocratic state where oligarchs hold wealth at his pleasure. He's been in power (as president or prime minister) since 1999 and shows no intention of leaving.
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