Russia is a part of European culture. Therefore, it is with difficulty that I imagine NATO as an enemy.

Putin's painting "Узор на заиндевевшем окне" (A Pattern on a Hoarfrost-Encrusted Window) which he had painted during the Christmas Fair on 26 December 2008 became the top lot at the charity auction in Saint Petersburg and sold for 37 million rubles. Acting Presidency

On 31 December 1999 Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned and according to the constitution Putin became Acting President of the Russian Federation. Military development

The resumption of long-distance flights of Russia's strategic bombers was followed by the announcement by Russian Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov during his meeting with Putin on 5 December 2007 that 11 ships including the aircraft carrier Kuznetsov would take part in the first major navy sortie into the Mediterranean since Soviet times.

The 2011 Democracy Index stated that Russia has been in "a long process of regression culminated in a move from a hybrid to an authoritarian regime" under Putin and American diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks allege that Russia has become a "virtual mafia state" due to systematic corruption in Putin's governance. In Russia Putin's leadership has mostly enjoyed considerable popularity with generally high approval ratings. During Putin's first premiership and presidency (1999–2008) real incomes increased by a factor of 2.