“First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.”

—  Vladimir Putin

In a nationally televised speech on (25 April 2005), San Diego Union Tribune http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050426/news_1n26russia.html. <br class="br">2000 - 2005

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President of Russia, former Prime Minister 1952

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