Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich (1952- )

Russian politician, president 2000- , appointed prime minister in August 1999 and chosen by President Boris Yeltsin as his preferred successor, Putin, a former KGB (Russian secret police) spy, was not a well-known figure either in Russia or abroad. A powerful and loyal ally of President Yeltsin, Putin became acting president following Yeltsin's resignation at the end of 1999, and was elected president in March 2000. Often described as a colourless bureaucrat and a poor public speaker, he seldom made television appearances, he was principally known for his loyalty and efficiency. The international community condemned his campaign of assaults against Chechnya.

As head of the federal security service (FSB), Putin achieved little of note, other than demonstrating his personal devotion to the president. To give Putin more weight and to confirm his respect for Putin's loyalty and quiet efficiency, in 1999 Yeltsin named him head of the Russian security council. There he lobbied for the proposed union treaty between Russia and Belarus, and walked the middle line on Kosovo, opposing Russian military involvement but rejecting Russia's role as a diplomatic courier for NATO.

Born in Leningrad (now St Petersburg), Putin studied law at the state university. After graduating in 1975, he worked in the KGB's foreign intelligence service, mainly in Germany. In 1990, he left the KGB and became an ally of Anatoly Sobchak, the liberal mayor of St Petersburg. He became Sobchak's head of external relations in 1991 and served as deputy mayor 1994-96. Following Sobchak's defeat in 1996, Putin resigned and moved to Moscow, where he was appointed deputy head of management in the presidential administration (1997). In July 1998, he was appointed director of the FSB, the main successor to the KGB.