Vladimir Putin, one of the most powerful figures in the world, has always been a secretive man, carefully guarding information about his life and his management of the Russian Government, as reported by Efe. Now, in a documentary airing this Sunday night on Russian television, he has revealed many details about the Ukraine war and how the annexation of Crimea and the start of the conflict in Donbass led to a direct confrontation with the West.
"In 2014, that was practically unreal. The country was not ready for a direct confrontation with the West. What is happening now. The West acknowledges this, and in the US, they talk about it. Russia is, in fact, facing the entire West alone. This demanded a serious attitude towards the possible development of the situation," he shares in the documentary dedicated to the 25th anniversary of his first inauguration as head of state, which will be on the upcoming 7th.
Putin pointed out that Russia "could not take abrupt steps without carrying out the corresponding work in terms of security and the development of the Armed Forces, in the sphere of the economy and finances."
"We did not specifically prepare for this. We sincerely aspired to solve the problem of Donbass through peaceful means. But it turned out that the counterpart was thinking and acting in a different direction," he asserted.
He acknowledged being aware of the impact that the start of the military campaign in Ukraine could have on the economy but assured that it was not about "plunging headlong into the abyss" since Russia had worked to ensure its security.
"Of course, we faced significant risks, that is evident. We immersed ourselves too much in a situation where the country was very dependent. The current world is very interdependent, that is natural, that is how it should be. But when a country like Russia becomes too dependent on external factors, this is dangerous," he emphasized.
However, he highlighted that when the time came, Russian society supported the decision to start the so-called "special military operation" of Russia in Ukraine and emphasized the attachment of Russians to traditional values, without which "Russia would simply lose its identity, which is extremely dangerous from the perspective of the country's future."
The documentary, which will be broadcast today at 9:00 PM Moscow time (7:00 PM GMT), was announced last Friday by journalist Pavel Zarubin, one of the authors of the film.
Putin's first inauguration took place on May 7, 2000, after winning with 52.94% of the votes in the early presidential elections in March of the same year, in which he ran as the acting president following the resignation of Boris Yeltsin, his predecessor.
Since then, except for 2008 when Dmitry Medvedev, his protege, assumed the presidency for a four-year term, Putin has had four more inaugurations thanks to amendments to the Constitution, which initially allowed only two presidential terms.
The Russian president also discusses his succession in power in the documentary.
"A person who does not have the trust of the people will not have opportunities to do something serious. It is a matter of principle. Therefore, when I think about the issue of a successor, and I think about it constantly, I believe that a person, or even better several, should emerge who can earn this trust from the citizens," he explains.
According to the Russian leader, above electoral technologies and administrative resources, "the choice of the people, the Russian people, the citizens, the voters" prevails.
Therefore, he stated that his voice will not be decisive when choosing his successor, although he acknowledged that he constantly evaluates potential successors.
Following the constitutional amendments approved in 2020, Putin, reelected as Russian president in 2024, could run for reelection again in 2030 and remain at the helm of the country until 2036.