【明報專訊】On 7 May 2000 Vladimir Putin (普京) was sworn into his first term of presidency. One of the most powerful leaders in Russia's history, he has made the country strong and prosperous and has ushered in (引進) a new era of intense diplomatic rivalry with the West.

◆1. Putin's political career

Putin was a KGB (蘇聯國家安全委員會，俗稱秘密警察) agent before he entered politics and joined President Boris Yeltsin's (葉利欽) administration. When Yeltsin stepped down in 1999, Putin, who was then his deputy, took over the reins as Acting President. He was elected president the next year and was reelected in 2004 and 2012.

◆2. Putin's foreign policies

Since he took office, Putin has pursued aggressive foreign policies. He is determined to (a) compete with the West (led by the US), (b) safeguard Russia's interests in Europe, (c) bring other former Soviet republics (collectively known as the Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS) within its influence, and (d) forge alliances with other nations.

(a) Rivalry with the US

Putin has repeatedly voiced his opposition to a world dominated by the US. Though he quickly expressed support for the War on Terror led by then US president George W Bush in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the US's decision to invade Iraq without the United Nations Security Council (聯合國安理會)'s approval hugely upset him. Relations between the two countries have since been at a low ebb.

Putin has clashed with the White House over a number of issues, including the US missile shield (導彈防禦盾) in Europe, the independence of Kosovo (科索沃) from Serbia (塞爾維亞), Russia's military aggression into South Ossetia (南奧塞梯) and its recent annexation (併吞) of Crimea (克里米亞). By playing tough against the US, he has not only altered the balance of power after the Cold War (冷戰) but also boosted his popularity in his country.

(b) Relations with Europe

Putin views the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO, 北大西洋公約組織), an intergovernmental military alliance between Western powers, as a threat to Russia's interests. He is vigorously opposed to its further expansion.

Russia is a major exporter of natural gas (天然氣), which many European countries heavily rely on as a source of energy. This has given Putin a trump card for expanding Russia's influence over Europe. During the 2009 Russia-Ukraine gas dispute, Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine, affecting many European countries, especially those in Southeastern Europe.

(c) Influence over former Soviet States

As he declared in a speech in 2003, Putin regards the Commonwealth of Independent States area as the sphere of Russia's strategic interests. This is best demonstrated by the recent conflicts in Eastern Ukraine, which has seen the integration of Crimea into Russia. Western powers have accused Putin of orchestrating the conflicts.

(d) Alliances with other nations

Putin is as keen to forge friendships with other countries as he is eager to take on the Western powers. Under him, Russia has supported India's effort to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, cooperated with China in dealing with issues like the construction of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean oil pipeline (東西伯利亞-太平洋石油管道), and enjoyed strong ties with Latin American nations like Cuba (古巴) and Venezuela (委內瑞拉).