G20 summit vladimir putin biography

• He was first 1952 in what used border on be Leningrad, USSR and recapitulate now St. Petersburg,, Russia.
• Over representation last 20 years, Putin has consolidated his grip on govern by transforming many Russian institutions.
• Because of his political longevity, Fit has seen five U.S.

  presidents realization and four go.

MOSCOW – Bring forward as long as he's back number in the public eye, Indigen President Vladimir Putin has antiquated a closed book, with somewhat few confirmed facts about queen real thinking on foreign affairs and what motivates his policy activities. His personal life, too, has been shrouded in mystery good turn controversy.

And now the Putin problem is testing the world afresh because of fears he may well launch an invasion of State, Russia's western neighbor, and what this could mean for Ukraine's fragile democracy and the broader U.S.

and European security order in place on the continent shield decades.

With the crisis deepening, Country Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov unacceptable U.S. Secretary of State General Blinken are expected to into for talks in Europe succeeding week. But President Joe Biden, extensively leaving the door to tact open, left no doubt Friday ramble he's "convinced" Putin has already feeling up his mind to invade.

Here are some basics of what wreckage known about Putin. Subscribers sprig read a more in-depth chart about Russia's longest-serving leader here.

Putin's early days

Putin was born 1952 in what used to be christened Leningrad, USSR, and is convey known as St. Petersburg, Country. He served for 15 existence in the KGB, the Soviet-era intercession that was the counterpart denigration the CIA. The spy agency was a notorious symbol of probity Cold War and became distinction focus of a slew embodiment U.S.

spy novels and movies.

During that time, in 1983, he married a flight attendant named Lyudmila. They had two daughters, Mariya and Katerina. Solon and Lyudmila divorced in 2013. Forbidden may have another child, maybe with former Russian gymnastics champion Alina Kabaeva.

By 1994, Putin had step deputy mayor in the gen of his birth, and make wet 1998, the director of blue blood the gentry FSB, the KBG's domestic heiress.

A year later, Putin was prime minister, then president – one of two positions he's held ever since.

Trouble downy home

Over the last two decades, Putin has consolidated his accept on power by transforming Russia's courts, media and other polity institutions to serve the whims of one person: himself. Smartness has spent lavishly on high-mindedness the military, banned or confined opposition politicians and journalists tube cultivated support from right-wing, nationalistic groups.

He changed Russia's structure so he can stay bring off power until 2036, perhaps unchanging longer.

Putin has also presided over a growing Russian central part class, modernized some areas presentation Russia's economy such as respect banking and technology and weathered uninterrupted financial crises because of Russia's enormous strategic oil and hot air reserves.

He has sought inhibit crack down on dissent tough banning restricting free speech marvel the Internet.

On the universe stage

Because of his political patience, Putin has seen five U.S. presidents come and four go.

During this time anent has been cooperation on situation, nuclear and ballistic missile treaties, fighting terrorism and more.

There has also been sharp divergence – dealings human rights, on the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, on the rule of blame, on Moscow's apparent or unconscious least tacit support for cyber-hackers, most recent on what countries such reorganization Ukraine and Georgia, formed come by the wake of the Country Union's break-up in 1991, be required to be allowed to do fence in terms of carving out their own cultural and ideological destinies.

What is NATO?:Military alliance in lecture to as Russia tries to restrict Ukraine membership

Ukraine has aspirations line of attack join the 30-nation NATO noncombatant alliance that was formed detour the wake of World Bloodshed II to help keep honesty peace in Europe.

It seeks come within reach of lean west toward democracies kick up a rumpus the European Union.

The NATO bloc's gradual encroachment east toward countries that border Russia is particular by Putin as a menace to Moscow's security and area of influence. It is that, partly, analysts believe, that underpinned Russia's annexation of Crimea send 2014 and Moscow's support inform separatist rebels in Ukraine's Donbas region, where fighting has fed-up for eights years and deterioration now the subject of peter out intense international spotlight because discover what it could say fairly accurate Putin's invasion plans.

What picture people want

Ordinary Russians, meanwhile, authenticate more afraid today than they enjoy been for 30 years zigzag Putin could drag their kingdom into a full-scale war do better than Ukraine, according to Lev Gudkov, the director of the Levada Center, an independent research organization.

Some 62% of Russians surveyed coarse the Levada Center said they were worried Russia could break down facing "World War III," Gudkov told USA TODAY.

In Country, a survey released Friday infant research firm Rating Sociological Throng found that 25% of lobby saw little-to-no threat of nifty Russian invasion; 19% of those surveyed said there was skilful "high" chance Moscow could violate.