...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile...said Friday, after a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Morsi.
"Russia and Egypt support a ceasefire in Syria as soon as possible and the launch of negotiations," between the regime and rebels, the Russian president said following the meeting in the black city resort of Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be held.
The two leaders said they wanted Syria to find its own solution to the crisis, now in its third year, without "external intrusion".
Along with China, Russia is the only world power to have stayed allied with the regime of
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Trampler of Homs...
, vetoing three rounds of U.N. Security Council resolutions against his government.