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I vividly remember New Year’s Eve 1999.
At the time, I was a producer at the BBC’s Moscow bureau when breaking news hit: Russian President Boris Yeltsin had unexpectedly resigned.
His decision caught everyone off guard, including the British press corps. With no correspondent available in the office, I found myself writing and broadcasting my first BBC dispatch.
“Boris Yeltsin always said he would finish his term,” I wrote. “Today, he told Russians he’d changed his mind.”
It marked the beginning of my reporting career – and the start of Vladimir Putin’s leadership.
After Yeltsin’s resignation, in accordance with the Russian constitution, Prime Minister Putin assumed the role of acting president. Three months later, he won the presidential election.
Before leaving office, Yeltsin’s parting words to Putin were: “Take care of Russia!” As Russia’s war on Ukraine nears its third year, I’ve often reflected on these words.
Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused catastrophic damage.
While Ukraine has endured massive destruction, with nearly 20% of its territory occupied and 10 million people displaced, the war has also had severe consequences for Russia.
Having reported on Putin since he took office, I often wonder how different the course of history might have been had Yeltsin selected a different successor. But of course, this remains a hypothetical.
One thing is certain: over the past twenty-five years, I have witnessed different versions of Putin.
And I’m not alone.
Lord Robertson, former NATO chief, remarked in 2023, “The Putin I dealt with—who helped establish the NATO-Russia Council—is very different from the man today, almost a megalomaniac.”
He recalled how, in 2002, Putin stood by him and described Ukraine as a sovereign state, a stark contrast to today’s Putin, who now denies Ukraine’s statehood.
“Putin has a thin skin and a vast ambition for his country,” Lord Robertson explained, adding that Putin’s desire to revive Russia’s power, akin to the Soviet Union, may have driven him into conflict with neighbors and the West.
The Kremlin offers a different explanation: Putin’s speeches suggest that he feels Russia has long been disrespected and its security concerns dismissed by the West.
But does Putin believe he has fulfilled Yeltsin’s directive to “take care of Russia”?
I had a chance to ask him directly.
During his annual press conference, after over four hours of answering questions, Putin invited me to speak.
I asked, “Boris Yeltsin told you to take care of Russia, but given the significant losses in your ‘special military operation’, the sanctions, inflation, and the situation in the Kursk region, do you think you’ve truly taken care of your country?”
Putin responded confidently: “Yes, and not only have I taken care of it, we’ve pulled back from the edge of the abyss.”
He described Yeltsin’s Russia as one on the verge of losing its sovereignty, accusing the West of using Russia for its own interests while patting Yeltsin on the back. Putin portrayed himself as the protector of Russia’s independence and sovereignty.
Is this a justification for the war in Ukraine or Putin’s genuine belief in his role as Russia’s defender? I’m still uncertain. However, this question will likely shape how the war concludes and the future direction of Russia.
