Career Timeline of Vladimir Putin: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Vladimir Putin made an impact.
Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician, the current President of Russia (since 2012), and previously held the office from 2000 to 2008. He also served as Prime Minister of Russia (1999-2000 and 2008-2012) and is considered the de facto leader of Russia since 1999/2000. Putin's leadership has significantly shaped Russia's domestic and foreign policy over the past two decades.
1975: Joined KGB
In 1975, Vladimir Putin joined the KGB and trained at the 401st KGB School in Okhta, Leningrad.
September 1984: Further Training in Moscow
In September 1984, Vladimir Putin was sent to Moscow for further training at the Yuri Andropov Red Banner Institute.
1985: Served in Dresden
From 1985, Vladimir Putin served in Dresden, East Germany, using a cover identity as a translator.
May 1990: Advisor on International Affairs
In May 1990, Vladimir Putin was appointed as an advisor on international affairs to Mayor Anatoly Sobchak.
1990: End of Service in Dresden
In 1990, Vladimir Putin's service in Dresden, East Germany, concluded.
1990: Return to Leningrad
In early 1990, Vladimir Putin returned to Leningrad as a member of the "active reserves".
June 1991: Head of Committee for External Relations
In June 1991, Vladimir Putin became the head of the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office.
August 1991: Resignation from KGB
On August 20, 1991, Vladimir Putin said that he resigned with the rank of lieutenant colonel on the second day of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt against Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev.
1991: Resignation from KGB
In 1991, Vladimir Putin resigned from the KGB to begin a political career in Saint Petersburg.
1996: Moved to Moscow
In 1996, Vladimir Putin moved to Moscow to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin.
1996: Retained Position Until 1996
In 1996, Vladimir Putin retained his position as head of the Committee for External Relations of the Saint Petersburg Mayor's Office.
1997: Deputy Chief of Presidential Staff
In 1997, Vladimir Putin was appointed as deputy chief of the Presidential Staff.
1998: Director of FSB
In 1998, President Boris Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin director of the FSB.
August 1999: Appointed Prime Minister
In August 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed prime minister.
December 1999: "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium" document
On December 30, 1999, a document titled "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium" appeared on the government's website, outlining Putin's main foreign policy objectives.
1999: Prime Minister of Russia
In 1999, Vladimir Putin served as Prime Minister of Russia.
March 2000: Won Presidential Election
In March 2000, Vladimir Putin won the presidential election.
May 2000: Putin's visit to Tashkent
In May 2000, Putin visited Tashkent, Uzbekistan, signaling improved relations after a period of distance under Yeltsin and Islam Karimov.
May 2000: Elected President
In May 2000, Vladimir Putin was elected to his first term as president.
May 2000: Creation of Federal Districts
On 13 May 2000, Putin issued a decree organizing the 89 federal subjects of Russia into seven administrative federal districts and appointed a presidential envoy responsible for each of those districts.
May 2000: Inauguration as President
On May 7, 2000, Vladimir Putin was inaugurated as President.
July 2000: Visit to North Korea
In July 2000, Putin became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit North Korea, meeting Kim Jong Il shortly after a visit to South Korea.
July 2000: Putin Gains Right to Dismiss Federal Subject Heads
In July 2000, according to a law proposed by Putin and approved by the Federal Assembly of Russia, Putin gained the right to dismiss the heads of the 89 federal subjects.
2000: Launch of Socio-Economic Development Program
In 2000, Putin launched the "Programme for the Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation for the Period 2000–2010".
2000: Presidential Election Campaign Management
In 2000, Vladimir Litvinenko managed Vladimir Putin's presidential election campaign in St Petersburg.
2000: Co-Authors Book 'Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin'
In 2000, Vladimir Putin co-authored a book titled "Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin" in Russian.
2000: First Presidential Term
In 2000, Vladimir Putin served as President of Russia.
2000: Putin elected as President of Russia
Since 2000, Vladimir Putin has been nominated and elected as President of Russia, typically under an independent banner.
2003: UK grants asylum to Boris Berezovsky
In 2003, relations between Russia and the United Kingdom deteriorated when the United Kingdom granted political asylum to Putin's former patron, oligarch Boris Berezovsky.
2004: Signing of the Kyoto Protocol Treaty
In 2004, Putin signed the Kyoto Protocol treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2004: Presidential Election Campaign Management
In 2004, Vladimir Litvinenko managed Vladimir Putin's presidential election campaigns in St Petersburg.
2004: Co-Authors Book 'Judo: History, Theory, Practice'
In 2004, Vladimir Putin co-authored a book titled "Judo: History, Theory, Practice" in English.
2004: Re-elected President
In 2004, Vladimir Putin was re-elected as president.
2006: Launch of Industry Consolidation Program
In 2006, Putin launched an industry consolidation programme to bring the main aircraft-producing companies under a single umbrella organization, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
January 2007: Putin favors a democratic multipolar world
In a January 2007 interview, Putin stated that Russia was in favor of a democratic multipolar world and strengthening the systems of international law.
February 2007: Putin criticizes U.S. dominance in Munich Speech
In February 2007, Putin delivered the Munich Speech, criticizing the United States' "monopolistic dominance" in global relations and the "almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations".
June 2007: Putin proposes counterproposal to U.S. missile shield
On June 7, 2007, Putin publicly opposed plans for the U.S. missile shield in Europe and presented President George W. Bush with a counterproposal which was declined.
August 2007: Russian Expedition Plants Flag on North Pole Seafloor
In August 2007, Russian expedition Arktika 2007, part of research related to the 2001 Russian territorial extension claim, planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole.
September 2007: Putin visits Indonesia and attends APEC meeting in Australia
In September 2007, Putin visited Indonesia, becoming the first Russian leader to do so in over 50 years. Also in September 2007, he attended the APEC meeting in Sydney, Australia, where he met with Prime Minister John Howard and signed a uranium trade deal for Australia to sell uranium to Russia. This marked the first visit by a Russian president to Australia.
October 2007: Putin Visits Iran for Caspian Summit
On 16 October 2007, Putin visited Iran to participate in the Second Caspian Summit in Tehran, where he met with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This was the first visit of a Soviet or Russian leader to Iran since Joseph Stalin's participation in the Tehran Conference in 1943, marking a significant event in Iran–Russia relations. Putin asserted that all Caspian states have the right to develop their peaceful nuclear programs without restrictions and described Iran as a "partner," while expressing concerns over its nuclear program.
December 2007: Major Navy Sortie into the Mediterranean
On 5 December 2007, Russian defense minister Anatoliy Serdyukov announced during his meeting with Putin that 11 ships, including the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov, would take part in the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times.
December 2007: Russia suspends participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty
On December 11, 2007, Russia suspended its participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty.
2007: Visit to Indonesia
In 2007, Putin became the first Russian or Soviet leader to visit Indonesia in half a century, resulting in the signing of an arms deal.
April 2008: Putin Visits Libya
In April 2008, Putin became the first Russian president to visit Libya.
2008: Prime Minister under Medvedev
From 2008 to 2012, Vladimir Putin served as prime minister again under Dmitry Medvedev.
2008: Prime Minister of Russia
In 2008, Vladimir Putin served as Prime Minister of Russia.
2008: Abandonment of Socio-Economic Development Program
Putin's "Programme for the Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation for the Period 2000–2010" was abandoned in 2008 when it was 30% complete.
November 2011: Agreement to establish Eurasian Union by 2015
On November 18, 2011, the presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia signed an agreement setting a target of establishing the Eurasian Union by 2015.
May 2012: Putin reelected as president, restrictive laws enacted
In May 2012, upon Vladimir Putin's reelection as president, Russia enacted many restrictive laws. These included the "foreign agents" law, the treason law, and the assembly law, which penalizes many expressions of dissent. There were also reports of inspections of non-governmental organizations, harassment, intimidation and imprisonment of political activists, and restrictions on critics.
August 2012: Russia Joins the World Trade Organization
Russia joined the World Trade Organization in August 2012.
2012: Returned to the Presidency
In 2012, Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency.
2012: President of Russia
In 2012, Vladimir Putin served as President of Russia.
September 2013: Putin Urges Caution Against US Intervention in Syria
On 11 September 2013, The New York Times published an op-ed by Putin urging caution against US intervention in Syria and criticizing American exceptionalism. Putin helped arrange for the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons.
2013: U.S. cancels summit after Putin grants asylum to Edward Snowden
In late 2013, Russian-American relations deteriorated further when the United States canceled a summit for the first time since 1960 after Putin gave asylum to Edward Snowden.
March 2014: Putin cites "Kosovo independence precedent" to justify recognizing Crimea
In March 2014, Putin used Kosovo's declaration of independence as a justification for recognizing the independence of Crimea, citing the "Kosovo independence precedent".
2014: Russia writes off Uzbek debt
In 2014, Russia agreed to write off Uzbek debt in a meeting between the two countries.
2014: Russia suspended from the G8 group
In 2014, Russia was suspended from the G8 group as a result of its annexation of Crimea.
January 2015: Eurasian Union Established
On January 1, 2015, the Eurasian Union was established, following agreements endorsed by Putin and others.
November 2016: Putin congratulates Donald Trump on becoming U.S. president
On November 9, 2016, Putin congratulated Donald Trump on becoming the 45th president of the United States.
December 2016: U.S. intelligence officials allege Putin approved email hacking during U.S. election
In December 2016, U.S. intelligence officials stated that Putin approved the email hacking and cyber attacks during the U.S. election against Hillary Clinton.
January 2017: Putin states U.S.-Russian relations continued to deteriorate
Putin stated that U.S.-Russian relations, already at the lowest level since the end of the Cold War, have continued to deteriorate after Trump took office in January 2017.
2017: Putin Dispatches PMCs to Central African Republic
In 2017, Putin dispatched Russian PMCs to back the Touadéra regime in the Central African Republic Civil War, gaining a permanent military presence in return.
2018: Re-elected President
In 2018, Vladimir Putin was re-elected as president.
2019: Russia Joins Paris Agreement
In 2019 Russia joined the Paris Agreement.
2019: Launch of Power of Siberia
Power of Siberia, which Putin has called the "world's biggest construction project", was launched in 2019 and is expected to continue for 30 years at an ultimate cost to China of $400bn.
June 2020: Putin publishes essay on World War II
On June 18, 2020, The National Interest published an essay by Putin titled "The Real Lessons of the 75th Anniversary of World War II", criticizing the Western historical view of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
September 2020: Government Support Package for United Aircraft Corporation
In September 2020, the UAC general director announced that the UAC will receive the largest-ever post-Soviet government support package for the aircraft industry in order to pay and renegotiate the debt.
April 2021: Constitutional Amendments
In April 2021, Vladimir Putin signed constitutional amendments into law allowing him to run for reelection twice more.
March 2022: Removed from International Judo Federation Positions
In March 2022, Vladimir Putin was removed from all positions in the International Judo Federation (IJF) due to the Russian war in Ukraine.
February 2023: Putin suspends Russia's participation in New START treaty
On February 21, 2023, Putin suspended Russia's participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States.
2023: Planned Defense and Security Spending
By the end of 2023, Putin planned to spend almost 40% of public expenditures on defense and security.
February 2024: Interview with Tucker Carlson
In February 2024, Putin granted an interview to Tucker Carlson, marking the only time since the 2022 Ukraine invasion that he spoke to a Western journalist.
March 2024: Re-election to Another Term
In March 2024, Vladimir Putin was reelected to another term as president.
May 2024: Putin's Fifth Inauguration and Shift in War Strategy
In May 2024, Putin was inaugurated as president of Russia for the fifth time. Also in May 2024, Sergei Shoigu was replaced with Andrey Belousov as defense minister, signaling a shift towards a war economy. Putin reportedly expressed readiness to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire to avoid further unpopular measures.
2024: Putin wins Russian presidential election with 88% of the vote
In the 2024 Russian presidential election, Putin achieved 88% of the popular vote, with reports of irregularities including ballot stuffing and coercion. In occupied areas of Ukraine, Putin won 88.12% and 92.83% of votes. In Chechnya, Putin won 98.99% of the vote.
May 2025: Approval of Coal Industry Bailout Plan
In May 2025, Putin approved Alexander Novak's coal industry bailout plan.
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