Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Vladimir Putin
A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician who has dominated Russian politics for over two decades. He served as President of Russia from 2000 to 2008, then as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012, and has been President again since 2012. A former intelligence officer, Putin is the longest-serving Russian president since the collapse of the Soviet Union. His leadership has been marked by a strong emphasis on national sovereignty and a centralized state.
1960: US cancels summit for the first time since 1960
In 2013, the United States canceled a summit for the first time since 1960 after Putin gave asylum to American Edward Snowden.
1972: Withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
According to the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin embarked on a build-up of Russia's nuclear capabilities because of U.S. president George W. Bush's unilateral decision to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
1978: Publication of Strategic Planning and Policy
In 1978, King and Cleland's "Strategic Planning and Policy" was published. Putin allegedly copied entire paragraphs from the Russian-language edition for his thesis.
1987: Violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty
Some analysts believe that this nuclear strategy under Putin has brought Russia into violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
1989: Freedom House's reference point for Russia's freedom retreat
In 2004, Freedom House used 1989, when the country was part of the Soviet Union, as a reference point when warning that Russia's "retreat from freedom marks a low point not registered since then".
1999: Systematic Punishment of Journalists
Since 1999, Putin has systematically punished journalists who challenge his official point of view.
2001: Russian territorial extension claim
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.
2002: Otto von Habsburg criticizes Putin
In 2002, Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of Austria-Hungary, criticized Putin in a newspaper interview, warning of him as an "international threat".
March 2003: Alleged birth of Putin's daughter Elizaveta
In March 2003, Vladimir Putin allegedly had another daughter, Elizaveta, also known as Luiza Rozova, with Svetlana Krivonogikh.
2003: Otto von Habsburg criticizes Putin
In 2003, Otto von Habsburg gave a speech warning of Putin as an "international threat", calling him "cruel and oppressive".
2003: UK grants political 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.
December 2004: Criticism of Rose and Orange Revolutions
In December 2004, Putin criticized the Rose and Orange revolutions, warning of endless conflict in the post-Soviet space.
2004: Freedom House warns of Russia's retreat from freedom
In 2004, Freedom House warned that Russia's "retreat from freedom marks a low point not registered since 1989, when the country was part of the Soviet Union".
2004: Changes to election of governors
In 2004, the direct election of those heads (usually called "governors") by popular vote was replaced with a system whereby they would be nominated by the president and approved or disapproved by regional legislatures.
2005: Otto von Habsburg criticizes Putin
In 2005, Otto von Habsburg gave a speech warning of Putin as an "international threat", calling him a "stone cold technocrat".
2005: Russia listed as 'not free' by Freedom House
Since 2005, Freedom House has listed Russia as being "not free", indicating democratic backsliding during Putin's tenure.
2006: Death of Alexander Litvinenko
The end of 2006 brought more strained relations in the wake of the death by polonium poisoning in London of former KGB and FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko.
February 2007: Putin criticizes US dominance in global relations in Munich Speech
In February 2007, Putin criticized what he called the United States' monopolistic dominance in global relations and "almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations" during what became known as the Munich Speech.
August 2007: Russian expedition Arktika 2007 planted a flag on the seabed at the North Pole
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.
2007: CIA estimate of Putin's wealth
In 2007, the CIA estimated Vladimir Putin's wealth at $40 billion.
2007: Expulsion of Russian envoys over Litvinenko case
In 2007, the crisis in relations continued with the expulsion of four Russian envoys over Russia's refusal to extradite former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoi to face charges in the murder of Litvinenko. Russia responded by expelling UK diplomats.
April 2008: Report of Putin's alleged divorce and engagement
In April 2008, the Moskovsky Korrespondent reported that Vladimir Putin had divorced Lyudmila and was engaged to marry Alina Kabaeva. The story was denied, and the newspaper was shut down shortly thereafter.
August 2008: South Ossetia War
In August 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili attempted to restore control over South Ossetia, leading to the 2008 South Ossetia War, during which Russian forces entered South Ossetia and other parts of Georgia.
2011: Photographs from inside "Putin's Palace" leaked onto the Internet
In 2011, photographs from inside "Putin's Palace" were leaked onto the Internet.
2011: Russia rated as 'authoritarian' by The Economist Intelligence Unit
Since 2011, The Economist Intelligence Unit has rated Russia as "authoritarian", changing from its previous classification as a "hybrid regime".
May 2012: Restrictive Laws and Crackdown on Activists after Putin's Reelection
In May 2012, after Vladimir Putin was reelected as president, Russia enacted restrictive laws, inspected non-governmental organizations, harassed, intimidated, and imprisoned political activists. These laws include the "foreign agents" law, the treason law, and the assembly law, which have been criticized for censoring speech and restricting dissent.
June 2012: Putin opposes foreign intervention in Syrian civil war
In June 2012, in Paris, Putin rejected French President François Hollande's call for Bashar al-Assad to step down, echoing Assad's argument that anti-regime militants were responsible for much of the bloodshed. He questioned the results of previous NATO interventions, asking about the safety and future of Libya and Iraq.
August 2012: Critics list the ownership of 20 villas and palaces
In August 2012, critics of Vladimir Putin listed the ownership of 20 villas and palaces, nine of which were built during Putin's 12 years in power.
2012: Adoption of "foreign agent" legislation
In 2012, Russia adopted "foreign agent" legislation.
2012: Sergei Kolesnikov alleges "Putin's Palace" construction
In 2012, Sergei Kolesnikov, a former business associate of Putin, told the BBC that he was ordered to oversee the building of a massive Italianate-style mansion, dubbed "Putin's Palace", near Praskoveevka. He stated that the mansion, featuring helipads and a private road, was built on government land for Putin's private use, funded by state funds and guarded by Kremlin officials.
2012: Crackdown Extended to Liberal Media
In 2012, the crackdown extended to the liberal media, which had until then been allowed to operate fairly independently.
2013: Russia's Press Freedom Ranking
In 2013, Reporters Without Borders ranked Russia 148 out of 179 countries in terms of freedom of the press, criticizing the crackdown on the political opposition and failure to bring to justice criminals who murdered journalists.
2013: US cancels summit after Putin grants asylum to Edward Snowden
In late 2013, Russian-American relations deteriorated further when the United States canceled a summit after Putin gave asylum to American Edward Snowden.
February 2014: Ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych
After the Russian annexation of Crimea, Putin claimed that the February 2014 ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had been orchestrated by the West to weaken Russia and accused the new Ukrainian leaders of being "nationalists, neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites".
March 2014: Russian Annexation of Crimea
Following the Revolution of Dignity in March 2014, the Russian Federation annexed Crimea.
March 2014: Putin cites Kosovo independence precedent to recognize Crimea independence
In March 2014, Putin used Kosovo's declaration of independence as a justification for recognizing the independence of Crimea, citing the so-called "Kosovo independence precedent".
August 2014: Statement on Russian and Ukrainian Peoples
In late August 2014, Putin stated: "People who have their own views on history and the history of our country may argue with me, but it seems to me that the Russian and Ukrainian peoples are practically one people".
2014: Russia suspended from the G8 group
In 2014, Russia was suspended from the G8 group as a result of its annexation of Crimea.
2014: Annexation of Crimea
In 2014, Vladimir Putin's tenure was punctuated by significant foreign policy actions, including the controversial annexation of Crimea.
2014: Tony Abbott challenges Putin over MH17 shooting at G20 Summit
In 2014, amid calls to ban Putin from attending the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would "shirtfront" (challenge) the Russian leader over the shooting down of MH17 by Russian-backed rebels, which had killed 38 Australians. Putin denied responsibility for the killings.
2014: Henry Kissinger writes about the demonization of Putin
In 2014, former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger wrote that the West has demonized Vladimir Putin.
December 2015: Statement on Ukrainian Culture
In late December 2015, Putin stated: "the Ukrainian culture, as well as Ukrainian literature, surely has a source of its own".
2015: Reported birth of Putin's daughter with Kabaeva denied
In 2015, Kabaeva reportedly gave birth to a daughter by Vladimir Putin; this report was denied.
2015: Putin strengthens support for Assad regime in Syria
In 2015, Putin took a stronger pro-Assad stance and mobilized military support for the regime in Syria. Some analysts have summarized Putin as being allied with Shiites and Alawites in the Middle East.
2015: Garry Kasparov describes Putin as a 'dictator'
In 2015, political opponent Garry Kasparov described Vladimir Putin as a "dictator".
2015: Larry Diamond says no serious scholar would consider Russia a democracy
In 2015, political scientist Larry Diamond stated that "no serious scholar would consider Russia today a democracy".
2015: British Government launches public inquiry into Litvinenko's death
In 2015, the British Government launched a public inquiry into Litvinenko's death, presided over by Robert Owen.
2015: Levada Center Director's statement on Russian polls
In 2015, the director of the Levada Center asserted that Russian poll results and comparisons to democratic states were irrelevant due to the lack of political competition and state-controlled media influencing public opinion.
January 2016: Owen report implicates Putin in Litvinenko's death
The Owen report, published on January 21, 2016, stated, "The FSB operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr Patrushev and also by President Putin".
April 2016: Panama Papers leak reveals Putin's associates' offshore wealth
In April 2016, the Panama Papers leak revealed that close associates of Vladimir Putin owned offshore companies worth US$2 billion in total, although Putin's name did not appear in the records.
December 2016: US intelligence alleges Putin approved cyber attacks during US election
In December 2016, US intelligence officials stated that Putin approved the email hacking and cyber attacks during the U.S. election against Hillary Clinton, which was denied by a spokesman for Putin.
2016: Legislation prohibiting missionary activity
In 2016, Vladimir Putin oversaw the passage of legislation that prohibited missionary activity in Russia.
2016: Alexei Navalny describes Putin as the 'Tsar of corruption'
In 2016, opposition activist and blogger Alexei Navalny described Vladimir Putin as the "Tsar of corruption".
2017: Kristen Ghodsee's book 'Red Hangover' published
In 2017, Kristen Ghodsee argued in her book 'Red Hangover: Legacies of Twentieth-Century Communism' that Western triumphalism and the association of leftist ideals with Stalinism allowed neoliberalism to undermine democracy and cause economic misery in the former Eastern Bloc, fueling the rise of Putin's nationalism.
2017: Criticism of Violence in Myanmar
In 2017, Putin criticized violence in Myanmar against Rohingya minorities.
2017: Poll indicates 67% hold Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption
Newsweek reported in 2017 that a poll "indicated that 67% held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption".
March 2018: Sergei Skripal poisoned in Salisbury
On March 4, 2018, former double agent Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury. On March 16, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was "overwhelmingly likely" Putin had personally ordered the poisoning, a charge denied by Putin's spokesman.
October 2018: Two-thirds of Russians agree that "Putin bears full responsibility for the problems of the country"
In October 2018, two-thirds of Russians surveyed agreed that "Putin bears full responsibility for the problems of the country", which has been attributed to a decline in a popular belief in "good tsar and bad boyars", a traditional attitude towards justifying failures at the top of the ruling hierarchy in Russia.
December 2018: Autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
With the attainment of autocephaly by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in December 2018 and subsequent schism of the Russian Orthodox Church from Constantinople, Putin's policy of forceful engagement in post-Soviet republics backfired, leading to the annexation of Crimea but loss of Ukraine.
2018: Forbes describes Putin's actions after Navalny's jailing
Following the jailing of Alexei Navalny in 2018, Forbes wrote: "Putin's actions are those of a dictator... As a leader with failing public support, he can only remain in power by using force and repression that gets worse by the day".
January 2019: Percentage of Russians trusting Putin hits historic low of 33%
In January 2019, the percentage of Russians trusting Putin hit a then-historic low—33%.
April 2019: Record number of Russians willing to emigrate from Russia
In April 2019, a Gallup poll showed a record number of Russians, 20%, willing to permanently emigrate from Russia. The decline was even larger in the 17–25 age group.
2019: Kabaeva reportedly gives birth to twin sons by Putin
In 2019, Kabaeva reportedly gave birth to twin sons by Vladimir Putin.
May 2020: Putin's approval rating amid the COVID crisis
In May 2020, amid the COVID crisis, Putin's approval rating was 68% when respondents were presented with a list of names, and 27% when respondents were expected to name politicians they trust. This has been attributed to continued post-Crimea economic stagnation but also an apathetic response to the pandemic crisis in Russia.
June 2020: Political Prisoners in Russia
As of June 2020, per Memorial Human Rights Center, there were 380 political prisoners in Russia, including 63 individuals prosecuted for political activities and 245 prosecuted for involvement with banned Muslim organizations. Over 20% were residents of Crimea.
November 2020: Investigation alleges Putin has another daughter
In November 2020, an investigation by Proekt alleged that Vladimir Putin has another daughter, Elizaveta, also known as Luiza Rozova, with Svetlana Krivonogikh.
December 2020: Putin's support among Russians aged 18–24 was only 20%
Observers see a generational struggle among Russians over perception of Putin's rule, with younger Russians more probably to be against Putin. Putin's support among Russians aged 18–24 was only 20% in December 2020.
2020: Expansion of "foreign agent" legislation
In 2020, Putin signed a law expanding the "foreign agent" legislation adopted in 2012 to include individuals and organizations receiving funding from abroad.
2020: Support for Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage
In 2020, Putin supported the Russian constitutional referendum, which passed and defined marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman in the Constitution of Russia.
January 2021: Navalny accuses Putin of building an estate with fraudulently obtained funds
In January 2021, Alexei Navalny and the Anti-Corruption Foundation released a video accusing Putin of using fraudulently obtained funds to build an estate. Navalny claimed the estate is 39 times the size of Monaco, costing over 100 billion rubles. The investigation included aerial footage and a detailed floorplan, alleging an elaborate corruption scheme involving Putin's inner circle.
April 2021: Signed Constitutional Amendments
In April 2021, Vladimir Putin signed constitutional amendments into law, potentially allowing him to extend his presidency to 2036.
July 2021: Article on Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians
In July 2021, Putin published a lengthy article titled "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians", revisiting themes of unity and stating that a Ukrainian state hostile to Moscow was "comparable in its consequences to the use of weapons of mass destruction against us".
November 2021: The Economist notes Putin's shift from autocracy to dictatorship
In November 2021, The Economist noted that Vladimir Putin had "shifted from autocracy to dictatorship".
November 2021: Distrust of Putin contributes to vaccine hesitancy
Polls conducted in November 2021, after the failure of a Russian COVID-19 vaccination campaign, indicated that distrust of Putin was a major contributing factor for vaccine hesitancy, with regional polls indicating numbers as low as 20–30% in the Volga Federal District.
February 2022: Launched Invasion of Ukraine
In February 2022, during his fourth presidential term, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, resulting in international condemnation and sanctions.
February 2022: Survey finds 59% support for "special military operation" in Ukraine
In late February 2022, a survey conducted by the independent research group Russian Field found that 59% of respondents supported the "special military operation" in Ukraine. According to the poll, in the group of 18-to-24-year-olds, only 29% supported the "special military operation".
March 2022: Poll indicates 71% of Russians support the "special military operation" in Ukraine
In late February and mid-March 2022 two polls surveyed Russians' sentiments about the "special military operation" in Ukraine. The results were obtained by Radio Liberty. 71% of Russians polled said that they supported the "special military operation" in Ukraine.
September 2022: Announced Partial Mobilization
In September 2022, Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization and forcibly annexed four Ukrainian oblasts into Russia.
December 2022: Putin refers to the fighting in Ukraine as a "war"
On December 22, 2022, Putin referred to the fighting in Ukraine as a "war" during a Security Council address. On December 25, 2022, in a TV interview, he openly declared that the goal of the invasion is "to unite the Russian people".
2022: 2022 invasion of Ukraine
As of 2024, no data is available since before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
2022: Russian state-controlled media presents invasion of Ukraine as "special military operation"
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, state-controlled TV, where most Russians get their news, presented the invasion as a "special military operation" and liberation mission, in line with the government's narrative. The Russian censorship apparatus Roskomnadzor ordered the country's media to employ information only from state sources or face fines and blocks. The Russian media was banned from using the words "war", "invasion" or "aggression" to describe the invasion, with media outlets being blocked as a result.
2022: Putin comments on the start of the SMO
In 2022 President Putin said the "events of 2022 also began without preparation" and that "it was impossible to stand still and endure any longer".
2022: Swiss media reports Kabaeva gave birth to boys
In 2022, Swiss media, citing the couple's Swiss gynecologist, wrote that on both occasions Kabaeva gave birth to a boy.
2022: Condemnation of Putin following the invasion of Ukraine
In 2022, following mounting civilian casualties during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. president Joe Biden called Vladimir Putin a war criminal and "murderous dictator". In his State of the Union Address, Biden said that Putin had "badly miscalculated". The Ukrainian envoy to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, likened Putin to Adolf Hitler, as did Latvian prime minister Krisjanis Karins who called him "a deluded autocrat creating misery for millions".
2022: International condemnation of Putin following the Russian invasion of Ukraine
In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the invasion "unprovoked, unjust and illegal" and labeled Putin a "thug". New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denounced Putin as a "bully". Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and the Solomon Islands UN ambassador also condemned the invasion.
2022: Ukraine Invasion
Since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, Putin has only once granted an interview to a Western journalist.
February 2023: Russia suspends 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.
March 2023: ICC Issued Arrest Warrant
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to illegal child abductions during the war in Ukraine.
September 2023: Head of VTsIOM state pollster says only 10-15% of Russians actively support the war
In September 2023, the head of the VTsIOM state pollster Valery Fyodorov said in an interview that only 10–15% of Russians actively supported the war, and that "most Russians are not demanding the conquest of Kyiv or Odesa".
2023: Der Spiegel Investigation
In 2023, an investigation by Der Spiegel reported that an anonymous source, who claimed to be a former RAF member, was "considered a notorious fabulist".
September 2024: Nuclear retaliation warning
In September 2024, Vladimir Putin warned the West that if attacked with conventional weapons Russia would consider a nuclear retaliation, in an apparent deviation from the no first use doctrine. Putin threatened nuclear powers that if they supported another country's attack on Russia, then they would be considered participants in such an aggression.
2024: No data is available
As of 2024, no data is available since before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
2024: Putin regrets not starting the SMO earlier
During the 2024 Year-End Review, President Putin said that he regretted not launching the "Special Military Operation" at the same time as the annexation of Crimea and with more "preparation".
2024: Putin achieves 88% of the popular vote in the Russian presidential election
In the 2024 Russian presidential election, Vladimir Putin achieved 88% of the popular vote amidst reports of irregularities, including ballot stuffing and coercion. Russian authorities claimed that in occupied areas of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin won 88.12% and 92.83% of votes respectively and in Chechnya, Putin won 98.99% of the vote.
April 2025: Trump called for a peace deal
In April 2025, US President Donald Trump criticized Putin's determination to continue the war against Ukraine despite the horrific death toll and called for a peace deal, posting on social media: "Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!"
2035: Burning more fossil fuels
Russia's energy strategy to 2035 is mostly about burning more fossil fuels.
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