On the New Year's Eve of 1999, the then Russian president Boris Yeltsin surprised the world by resigning and naming the mysterious Prime Minister Valadimir Putin as his successor. Twenty years later, it has proven that it was not only a decision of historical significance by Boris Yeltsin but also the best choice for Russia.
| Russian President V. Putin |
The man of his choice has been shaping Russia over the last 20 years and in the time to come, to the point and in a way unmatched by anyone in Russia. He continued shaking Russia, repairing the comprehensive but chaotic transformation initiated by Yeltsin and turning Yeltsin's Russia into today's modern country. He led Russia through ups and downs, difficulties and challenges. He gave back to Russia its reputation and influence as a world power.
The West quickly began to portray Putin as a totalitarian. Therefore, its relations with Putin's Russia have never been easy and harmonious. Putin put Russia in cooperation with the EU and NATO. But these relations could not be improved, but rather worsened over time due to the conflict in Chechnya, the war between Russia and Georgia, especially due to Crimea and the secession conflict in Ukraine. NATO sees Putin's Russia as an enemy. The EU sanctions Putin's Russia. As far as it is foreseen, there is no possibility in the near future that comprehensive relations between Russia and the West will be normalized and improved. Apparently it didn't matter and Putin doesn't care because his Russia is already fundamentally different from Yeltsin's Russia. Today's Russia is far more powerful than the country left by Yeltsin, both economically and politically. All the problems of today's world politics would not be solved if sidelining Russia and Putin. NATO and Europe have yet to cooperate with Russia and Putin to address political and security issues of Europe.
Over the past two decades, Putin has been able to solve many but not all of the problems that Russia had to deal with. The road ahead remains very bumpy for Russia and its future still permeates some uncertainties. But Putin has laid the foundation for Russia's future and its prominent place in today's world. He has been increasingly upsetting the West but for Russia in the last twenty years he has been the right man for the right job at the right time.
