When Putin took office as Russia's president in May 2000, many reacted to his background within the KGB, the then Soviet Union intelligence service.
What was really the situation with the new president's attitude towards democracy and human rights?
After more than seven years in power, Putin began to express a more aggressive foreign policy, and the following year he invaded neighboring Georgia, which was beginning to approach the West and NATO.
Hear more about Putin's background and his change of Russia in the clip above.