Vladimir Putin Marks 25 Years in Power Amid Escalating Authoritarianism and Ongoing Ukraine War

From initial Western cooperation to strained relations and internal repression, Putin's quarter-century rule has reshaped Russia and its global standing.

• Putin rose to power on December 31, 1999, following Boris Yeltsin's resignation, and has since consolidated control through internal repression and constitutional changes allowing him to remain in office until 2036.
• Early in his presidency, Putin sought closer ties with the West, even suggesting potential NATO membership for Russia, but relations soured after NATO's eastward expansion and disputes over Ukraine and Georgia.
• The 2007 Munich Security Conference speech marked a turning point, with Putin criticizing NATO's expansion and signaling a shift toward a more assertive and confrontational foreign policy stance.
• Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have led to severe Western sanctions, a breakdown in NATO-Russia relations, and growing international isolation.
• Domestically, Putin's regime has intensified repression, with thousands prosecuted for dissent, while the war in Ukraine has strained the social contract between the Kremlin and the Russian populace.

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