Also forgot this gem
"I think the most interesting part of his carrier is rising from a KGB personal running from east Germany with everything he owned in his car to a president."
Yeah I agree, you could even go farther back in his childhood where he was described as being a dysfunctional, poor child. He really came from nothing. Now there's speculation that he's one of the richest men in the world(the entirety of Russia's treasury being at his personal disposal due to how corrupt the government system is). I don't agree with most of his approaches but he's still a remarkable individual, one who commonly uses shenanigans on an international scale to further that status.
I essentially paraphrased the wiki with a lot of info left out, focusing on the more appealing achievements of Vladimir Putin.
"Putin resigned from the active state security services with the rank of lieutenant colonel on 20 August 1991 (with some attempts to resign made earlier),[43] on the second day of the KGB-supported abortive putsch against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.[44] Putin later explained his decision: "As soon as the coup began, I immediately decided which side I was on", though he also noted that the choice was hard because he had spent the best part of his life with "the organs".[45] In 1999, he described communism as "a blind alley, far away from the mainstream of civilization."[46]"
"Vladimir Putin was inaugurated president on 7 May 2000." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin
"With his allegiance tested and proven he soared through the ranks and became president in just 9 years. From here Putin is noted for many economic milestones. He single-handedly brought Russia out of the Depression caused by the USSR, worked with the Russian Mafia to get laws passed and continued to pursue life's goals as he saw fit."
Seems a bit underdeveloped...
For best experience, play while reading. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06jlgpMtQs
Though he is seen as an irrational tyrant by the west, I can't help but shed some light on this mans achievements. The story of Vladimir Putin is one full of hardships, survival, travesty as well as being littered with achievements and precedents unlike any modern leader. No matter the choices he makes now, the circumstances in which he rose to power are humbling to say the least.
[1.0] Background/Childhood
Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad during the reign of the Soviet Union, along with two other brothers in poverty. His father served in the Russian Navy and later the army before being severely injured(leaving him impaired), his mother worked tirelessly in a soviet factory. His first brother died shortly after birth and the other died of diphtheria during the German siege of Leningrad. Putin's grandmother was killed by German troops during their occupation of the region Tver. He lived a decent portion of his childhood life in Soviet communal apartments, crowded in the same unit with other families. His behavior in the soviet equivalent of elementary school was listed as being disorderly and was denied further education due to that. Out of a class of 45 childeren only him and one other were denied. He soon started adamantly practicing sambo and judo, eventually attending college graduating with a degree in law. It's noted that his final thesis was plagiarized.
Soon after he was conscripted into the KGB, training one year and becoming a counter-intelligence specialist. He was stationed in Germany, hoping to conscript spies to infiltrate the US. This picture was taken during Putin's time undercover in the KGB, here he is posing as a tourist next to Ronald Reagan.
Validity of the picture isn't confirmed, there seems to be some claims against it.
The operation which lasted 5 years yielded nothing, the most successful move Putin and his team made was contacting a US Army Sergeant who sold them a unclassified(common/standard issue/shit) field manual for 800 marks. He was called back to the Soviet Union after the Berlin Wall fell in which he resigned with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from active duty after the KGB publicly opposed Gorbachev. He sided against the KGB being quoted saying "communism is a blind alley and far away from mainstream civilization."
With his allegiance tested and proven he soared through the ranks and became president in just 9 years. From here Putin is noted for many economic milestones. He single-handedly brought Russia out of the Depression caused by the USSR, worked with the Russian Mafia to get laws passed and continued to pursue life's goals as he saw fit.
Putin personally flying fighter jets for the hell of it.
One of Putin's favorite hobbies was to go hunting and he did so on a regular basis in Siberia.
He also took up fishing and horseback riding in a true outdoors men fashion.
He also turned his eye to archaeology, scuba diving to underwater ruins and surfacing with ancient russian relics.
He never did turn his eye off of Judo. He obtained a 5th degree black belt and even wrote a book on it,
When a wild fire broke out, Putin seized a publicity opportunity and took the fires out himself by dumping water/fire retardant on the flames via plane.
He doesnt stop here, word of an endangered species was displaced. Putin personally suited up and guided them back to a wildlife reserve.
He also enjoys racing from time to time
Let's not forget Putin was trained extensively in the use of firearms in the KGB and has made a habit of appearing publicly shooting weapons.
Putin decided to pick up hockey as well, scoring 6 goals in one "exhibition" game
During all these ventures, Putin made some great friends. Known to accompany both George Bush and Steven Segal Multiple times
Even with all these heartwarming moments, Putin keeps a stern hand. The situation was factory owners underpaying workers and stripping their benefits unfairly, then they lay the workers off by shutting down the factory. Putin handles these matters personally.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjrlTMvirVo
I don't care for his foreign policy or how he's the sole reason Russia's economy is now falling. He's clearly enjoyed his 3 terms in office. His feats have earned him Time Magazines Person of the Year.
Real life equivalent of the most interesting man in the world.
and....
With the rise of modern globalization, it's far more lucrative and beneficial to work with other countries to stimulate your own economy. A nation being solely independent is severly limiting, which is why sanctions are a passed down as a punishment. With these new sanctions that were forced on Russia, they'll have to be independent(limited) with their economy.