>>> HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT
NOW.
SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL
LEADERS OF WESTERN DEMOCRACIES
ARE AT THIS EMERGENCY NATO
SUMMIT MEETING, A SHOW THE
FORCE, UNITY AND CONCERN HOW
VLADIMIR PUTIN CONTINUES TO RUN
THESE ATTACKS AND THIS WAR
AGAINST UKRAINE.
THIS REALIGNMENT IN MANY WAYS
WAS AVOID ABLEABLE THIS IS A WAR
PUTIN STARTED, THAT'S A FACT.
MANY EXPERTS SAY WHILE THE
UKRAINIAN RESISTANCE CONTINUES
TO BE AFFECTED, THE ENDING OF
THIS WAR WILL LIKELY BE UP TO
PUTIN IN MANY WAYS.
THAT BRINGS US TO OR SPECIAL
REPORT FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
WE RECENTLY CHARTED PRESIDENT
ZELENSKYY'S UNUSUAL PATH TO
POWER, HOW THAT CREATED A
FRAMEWORK FOR HIM TO LEAD THIS
RESISTANCE IN MANY WAYS HAVE
CAUGHT MANY BY SURPRISE.
NOW WE REPORT TO THE MAKING OF
VLADIMIR PUTIN, A MAN WHO MUCH
OF THE WESTERN WORLD STILL IS STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND AND
STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND AND
CONSTRAINS PUTIN'S REIGN HAS NOW
SPANNED FIVE U.S. PTSDSRESIDENTS
HE FIRST TOOK POWER IN 2000, TO
REPLACE BORIS YELTSIN AFTER
PUTIN'S OWN 16 YEARS OF SERVICE
AS A KGB AGENT.
>> NOT LONG AGO ED A 20-MINUTE
CONVERSATION WITH BORIS YELTSIN,
WHO TODAY ENDS HIS HISTORIC
TENURE.
>> PRESIDENTACY ELECTIONS HAVE
BEEN ANNOUNCED, VLADIMIR PUTIN
HAS BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF
RUSSIA.
>> PUTIN DEPLOYED HIS OWN
GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND IN
RELATIONSHIPS TO ACTUALLY GET
INSTALLED, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO
THEN RUN FOR THE RESULTS YOU
JUST SAW AS A NEW INCUMBENT WITH
CONNECTED INSIDERS, AND FORCES
BEHIND PUTIN WHO IMMEDIATELY
USED THE POWER OF OFFICIAL STATE
TV TO ENHANCE HIS PROFILE,
AIMING TO WIN HIM MORE THAN 50%
OF THE VOTES CAST.
AS THE TIMES REPORTED, THAT WAS
BEFORE THE 2000 ELECTION.
PUTIN CAME UP DECIDEDEDLY
THROUGH THE OLD SYSTEM, AND ANY
WAYS HE'S UPGATED GOVERNING HAS
TYPICALLY FOCUSED ON MODERNIZING AUTHORITARIAN TACTICS, NOT TO
AUTHORITARIAN TACTICS, NOT TO
SHARE POWER OR FREEDOM OR ENGAGE
ENSTALIN WOULD HAVE THE STATE
PHOTOGRAPHS DOCTORED TO MAKE IT
AS IF THEY NEVER EXISTED.
PHOTOGRAPHY ITSELF KIND OF AN
INFORMATION WEAPON.
PUTIN DEPLOYS MORE MODERN
PROPAGANDA FROM THE INFLUENCE
CAMPAIGNS THAT OCCURRED IN THE
UNITED STATES WE MAY ALL
REMEMBER FROM 2016, IN EUROPE
RIGHT NOW TO CAREFULLY STAGE
PROPAGANDA AND GRANDIOSE IMAGES
THAT TRY TO CAST RUSSIA AND THUS
PUTIN AS STILL A PEET OF SOLVE
YES-ERA DOMINANT POWER.
THAT'S WHY PUTIN EXPERTS SAY HE
INVESTS SO BECAUSE THEY ENHANCE
HIS POWER AND TRY TO LAUNDER AND
COVER HI AUTHORITARIANISM.
THAT'S WHY HE REPORTEDLY
OBSESSED OVER GETTING OLYMPICS,
TO GET HIS MUCH-NEEDED
INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL.
THOSE WERE THE MOST EXPENSIVE
GAMES TO DATE.
$50 BILLION AND COUNTY, AND HE
TERRORIZED STAFF TO PULL IT OFF.
ONE PROJECT MANAGER FLED THE
COUNTRY AFTER BEING FIRED AND
BEING WARNED OF RETRIBUTION.
THAT MANAGER SAID LATER HE WAS
POISONED WITH MERCURY.
PUTIN GOT THE OLYMPICS.
HE WAS BACK AFTER IT MAKING A
BID TO HOST THE 2020 WORLD EXPO,
A PITCH SO IMPORTANT, AGAIN,
BECAUSE HE CLEARLY CARES ABOUT
SOME OF THE WORLD'S OPINIONS,
THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY
TIMES HE'S EVERY BEEN SEEN
SPEAKING ENGLISH IN PUBLIC.
>> A LONG AND RICH EXPERIENCE OF
PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD EXPO
MOVEMENT.
WE DISMISS OUR BIT TO HOST WORLD
EXPO 2020.
>> THAT'S HOW BAD HE WANTED IT.
THAT WAS YEARS OUT.
YOU COULD SEE HIM LABORING THE
CASE IN ENGLISH. IT WENT TO UAE.
IT WENT TO UAE.
JUST AS HE SOUGHT THEISMAGE, HE
HAS CONSTANTLY TRIED TO GET
AMERICAN PRESIDENTS TO SEE HIM
AND TREAT HIM AS SOMETHING OTHER
THAN A DICTATOR AND ADVERSARY.
>> IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE
FUTURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK
TOGETHER.
>> HE JUST LAID OUT A VISION.
I THINK IT'S VERY SINCERE, I
THINK IT'S INNOVATIVE.
I THINK IT'S STRATEGIC.
>> WE HAD EXCELLENT DISCUSSIONS
YESTERDAY.
I'M AWARE OF NOT ONLY THE
EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT YOU HAVE
DONE ON BEHALF OF THE RUSSIAN
PEOPLE.
>> WE'VE HAD GREAT MEETINGS,
VERY, VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
>> DONALD TRUMP'S WARMTH TOWARD
PUTIN IS WELL KNOWN, AND IT MAY
BE COMPLICATED AS WE HAVE
REPORTED, BUT WHAT'S ACTUALLY
TELLING ABOUT PUTIN'S POSITION
IS ALL OF THIS PREDATES
DONALD TRUMP'S UNUSUAL
PRESIDENCY.
THE EX-KGB OFFICER HAS BEEN
PROVEN PRETTY EFFECTIVE AT
DIPLOMACY.
HE EVEN DREW ONE OF THE PERHAPS
MOST ODD COMPLIMENTS AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT HAS EVER GIVEN ANY
RUSSIAN LEADER WHEN GEORGE W.
BUSH TALKED ABOUT PUTIN'S SOUL,
WHICH WAS LATER MOCKED BY
HILLARY CLINTON.
>> I FOUND HIM TO BE VERY
STRAIGHTFORWARD AND
TRUST-WORTHY.
WE HAD A VERY GOOD DIALOGUE.
I WAS ABLE TO GET A SENSE OF HIS
SOUL, HE'S A MAN DEEPLY
COMMITTED TO HIS COUNTRY.
>> THIS IS THE PRESIDENT THAT
LOOKED IN THE SOUL OF PUTIN.
I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM HE WAS A
KGB AGENT.
BY DEFINITION, HE DOESN'T HAVE A
SOUL.
THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME, RIGHT?
>> A WASTE OF TIME, BUT ONE THAT
THE UNITED STATES AND ITS
DIPLOMATS HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.
PUTIN HAS ALSO TRIED TO PLAY
ADMINISTRATION OFF EACH OTHER.
HE DID NOT PRACTICE DEMOCRACY AT
HOME, BUT HAS SOME UNDERSTANDING
OF POLITICS OF DEMOCRACY.
HILLARY CLINTON WAS TRYING HER
OWN VERSION OF RUSSIAN OUTREACH
MEETING WITH SERGEY LAVROV TO
PRESENT A GIANT RESET BUTTON
THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SYMBOLIZE A
JUMP-START FOR THESE TWO
COUNTRIES' RELATIONSHIP.
>> WE WANT TO RESET OUR
RELATIONSHIP.
>> LET'S PRESS IT TOGETHER.
>> WE WILL DO IT TOGETHER, OKAY?
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU ARE VERY WELCOME.
>> THAT'S THE WARMTH OF
DIPLOMACY?
MANY DIPLOMATS TRY, YOU SEE
LAVROV IS THE SAME ONE TRUMP
WOULD LATER HOST IN THE OVAL
OFFICE AFTER FIRING JAMES COMEY
OVER THE RUSSIAN PROBE.
THINGS GOT EVEN TRICKIER.
LAVROV IS STILL IN THAT POST
TODAY.
AS FOR CLINTON, WELL, SHE
CONCLUDED PUTIN WAS GETTING MOVE
OUR THOF GESTURES THAN THE
UNITED STATES.
BY 2013, SHE WAS COUNSELING
OBAMA AGAINST -- IT WAS TWO
YEARS LATER THAT PRESIDENT
OBAMA'S HARD-CORE GLARE GOT SOME
NOTICE AROUND THE WORLD.
MANY NATIONS WERE SOON GLARING
AT WHERE YOU AREA WHEN IT MADE
THE FIRST INCURSION IN 2014.
THE TIMES REPORTED HOW PUTIN
CLAIMED CRIMEA FOR RUSSIA, AND
BITTERLY DENOUNCED THE WEST
ALONG THE WAY.
THAT MOVE WAS IN AND OUT A
FULL-SCALE WAR, BUT IT WAS A NEW
LINE CROSSED.
IT SHOWED WHAT PUTIN WAS DOING,
FEELING STRONG, UNCHALLENGED AT
HOME, AND BENT ON DEFYING EVEN
THE APPEALS TO HIS OWN INTERESTS
FROM A MUCH MORE POWERFUL
COUNTRY IN THE UNITED STATES.
AS OPUT IT, WHY DISRUPT UKRAINE
WHEN DOING SO WOULD MEAN WESTERN
SANCTIONS?
THERE'S NO SINGLE CONFIRMED
ANSWER, ONLY THE REALITY THOSE
PARTIAL SANCTIONING BACK THEN
DID NOT SLOW PUTIN DOWN.
TODAY IS DIFFERENT.
HE'S FACING ENDURING SANCTIONS
FOR WHAT IS A FULL-SCALE WAR.
ANOTHER ANSWER TO THE QUESTION
OF WHAT PUTIN WAS THINKING THEN
AND NOW IS THAT HIS STRATEGY IS
TO TAKE GREAT RISKS OR COSTS,
BECAUSE HE IS HELLBENT ON A
RUSSIAN RESURGENCE.
HE'S LONG VIEWED THE SOVIET
COLLAPSE AS A KIND OF STRATEGY.
HE'S PUSHED THE IDEA THAT RUSSIA
MUST COUNTER THE WEST,
SPECIFICALLY NATO, WHICH HE CLAIMS IS A PROVOCATION THAT'S
CLAIMS IS A PROVOCATION THAT'S
OUTLASTED THE COLD WAR-ERA USE.
THAT'S ANOTHER ANOTHER ANSWER.
A THIRD POSSIBILITY IS PUTIN
THINKING UKRAINE IS A PART OF
RUSSIA, UKRAINE SPECIFICALLY.
HE WROTE AN EISAI LAST YEAR --
WE ARE ONE PEOPLE.
THAT IS KIND OF HOW HE ONCE
CLAIMED THAT HIS RULE OF RUSSIA
WOULD FOLLOW A PATH AWAY FROM
HARMFUL COMMUNISM, TOWARDS
BEING, WELL, SOMETHING THAT HE
LIES ABOUT, TOWARDS BEING, HE
CLAIMED, A DEMOCRACY.
>> Translator: ONLY ON THE
EFFECT OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE CAN
A COLD SEVEN POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC FREEDOMS WHICH HAVE
DEVELOPED A DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL
SYSTEM.
THE MULTIPARTY SYSTEM IS A
REALITY NOW.
RUSSIANS CAN ELECT THEIR
PRESIDENT, THE DEPUTIES OF THE
STATE DO THE GOVERNORS AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS.
>> A YOUNGER PUTIN CLAIMING THAT
IT'S A DEMOCRACY, TRYING TO
ARGUE IN KEY WAYS, RUSSIA IS
LIKE THE WEST.
BUT PUTIN'S RUSSIA ONLY HAS THE
TRICK AND TRAPPINGS OF A FAKE
DEMOCRACY AS A SHELL AROUND HIS
DICTATORSHIP, HE GAVE HIMSELF A
PATH TO STAYING ANOTHER YEARS,
TWO YEARS AFTER HE PUBLICLY SAID
HE WOULD NOT DO THAT.
IT CREATES A LOOP OF REPRESSION,
DISINFORMATION AND ILLICE, SO
PUTIN CAN CREATE THE PERCEPTION
TODAY THAT INITIALLY WHEN THE
INTERNET FIRST BURST ON THE
SCENE MIGHT HAVE SEEMED LIKE A
DIFFICULT TASK.
HOW WOULD YOU GET PEOPLE TO
THINK YOUR DICTATORSHIP IS A
DEMOCRACY, OR THE WAR YOU
STARTED EVEN ISN'T HAPPENING?
OF COURSE YOU HAVE NOTICED IN
THE LAST MONTH, PUTIN CENSURES A
LARGE PART OF THE INTERNET, TO
THE POINT RUSSIANS DO
INCORRECTLY THINK THERE'S NO
AGGRESS.
FOR MANY WHO CHARTED PUTIN, IT'S
CLEAR THAT SOMETIMES HE WILL
TALK DIRECTLY ABOUT HIS GOALS.
THEN OTHER TIMES HE LIES.
THE DIFFICULTY WILL BE FIGURING
OUT WHAT HE IS UP TO AT ANY
GIVEN TIME.
>> Translator: WE DEMOCRATIZED
OUR ELECTION SYSTEM IN A SERIOUS
MATTER.
>> Translator: I WILL CONTINUE
TO WORK ACTIVELY, OPENLY
HONESTLY.
>> Translator: IF YOU'RE WEAK
THERE WOULD ALWAYS BY SOMEONE TO
COME OVER, FLY OVER.
>> Translator: WE MUST LOOK TO
THE GREAT FUTURE OF OUR MORELAND
STRATEGICALLY.
>> Translator: I DON'T THINK THE
UKRAINIAN PEOPLE ARE IN ANY WAY
UNFRIENDLY.
NO, WE ARE ONE SINGLE ENTITY.
NOW, THE LEADERSHIP OF UKRAINE,
THAT'S AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT
MATTER.
>>> TAKE IT ALL IN, FROM WHERE
HE STARTED, ALL THE DIFFERENT
THINGS HIS SAYS, CLAIMS AND
DOES.
THE BAD NEWS IS, HOW DEVASTATING
PUTIN'S GOALS ARE AND HOW
EFFECTIVE HE HAS BEEN OVER THE
YEARS EVEN AS HE ACCRUED MORE
POWER, AND DEALT WITH OTHER
LEADERS IN COUNTRIES THAT ARE
STRONGER THAN HIM, MILITARILY
AND ECONOMICALLY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU TAKE IT
ALL TOGETHER AND EXPERTS SAY
THERE ARE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE
POINTS HERE.
THIS IS A PERSON WHO DOES
RESPOND TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S
STATED VALUES, WHO DOES RESPOND
TO EXTERNAL PRESSURE, WHO HAS
FELT THE NEED TO AT LEAST CLAIM
THAT HE FOLLOWS DEMOCRACY, EVEN
WHEN HE DOESN'T, OR HE'LL STOP
CENSORS EVEN WHEN HE WON'T.
THIS IS A PERSON SUBJECT TO
SELF-INTEREST.
THAT CAN BE USED AGAINST HIM,