December 31, 1999. I will never forget the eve of the Christian year that day. At that time I was working as a producer in the Moscow bureau of the BBC. Suddenly news came, Russian President Boris Yeltsin resigned. His decision shocked everyone. There were no correspondents in the BBC office that day. As a result, I had to take the responsibility of writing and broadcasting the news.
I wrote, 'Boris Yeltsin has always said he will serve his entire term. But today he told Russia that he has changed his decision. My professional career as a reporter started with this news. At the same time, Vladimir Putin's journey as the leader of Russia began.
Following Yeltsin's resignation, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin assumed the role of acting president under the Russian constitution. He won the elections held three months later and became the president. As Yeltsin left the Kremlin, he told Putin, 'Take care of Russia.'
As the Russia-Ukraine war approaches three years, I am reminded of Yeltsin's words over and over again. Because this war has had a devastating effect on Ukraine. A large number of people died. Russia has occupied about 20 percent of the country. Another million Ukrainians have been displaced.
Russia's losses are not small. Since the start of Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine, the Russian military has suffered major losses on the battlefield. There are regular drone attacks on Russian cities. Ukraine's troops have occupied part of the country's Kursk region. The big thing is that the government's repression of the Russian people has increased.
I have been reporting on Putin since he first came to power 25 years ago. Who thought on December 31, 1999, this new leader of Russia is going to stay in power even after two and a half decades? Many may not have thought that one day Russia will join the war with Ukraine. They have to face the West through this.
It often seems that if Yeltsin had chosen someone else to succeed Putin that day, the course of history would have been different. The question is theoretical. If you sit down to review history, the words 'if', 'but' and 'could' come up again and again. But one thing I can say for sure, in 25 years I have seen many different forms of Putin.
This is not just me alone. In 2023, Lord Robertson, then head of the military alliance NATO, told me, 'I met Putin. I worked well with him. A NATO-Russia Council was held. The former Putin was very different from today's extreme power-hungry Putin.
Lord Robertson also said, 'I think Putin cannot tolerate criticism at all. His ambitions for the country are also huge. At one time, the Soviet Union was recognized as the second superpower in the world. Today Russia can make such a claim? I think it hurt Putin's ego.
This could be one possible explanation for the change I have seen in Putin. His ambition to restore Russia to the ranks of the elite has drawn the country into inevitable conflict with its neighbors and the West.
However, the Kremlin's interpretation is different. His dissatisfaction has emerged from the speeches and comments made by Putin. He expressed resentment that Russia has been surrounded by the West. He also expressed concern about the security of his country. However, Western countries have denied these allegations.
I have a question here. That is, does Putin think he has been able to fulfill Yeltsin's request to keep an eye on Russia? I recently had an opportunity to find out the answer to this question. At the year-end press conference, Putin gave me a chance to ask a question.
I asked the president, 'Boris Yeltsin asked you to keep an eye on Russia. But the significant losses caused by Apna's alleged special military operations, the entry of Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region, the imposition of sanctions on Russia, and the rise in inflation. Do you think that you have been able to keep an eye on the country?
In response, Putin said, 'Yes. And I didn't just look after Russia, I brought the country back from the brink of hell.' According to Putin, under Yeltsin, Russia was losing its sovereignty. At that time the West was using Russia for their own interests. There he is doing everything to ensure Russia's independence-sovereignty.
Is Putin trying to justify the war in Ukraine by portraying himself as the protector of Russian sovereignty, or does he really consider himself a protector of sovereignty? I don't know that yet. But I understand that the question is important. The answer to this question is also important. Because it could have a big impact on ending the war and determining the future of Russia.