What to know about Russian president Vladimir Putin l GMA

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00:00Now to a closer look at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

00:03What's behind his decision to invade Ukraine and how far could he go?

00:07Our foreign correspondent James Longman is in Moscow for us this morning.

00:10Good morning, James.

00:12Yeah, good morning, Michael.

00:14So many people here really did not believe, right up until the moment,

00:17we saw the first explosions that this invasion would happen.

00:20But as I've been told time and time again here, this is not Russia's war.

00:24One man is driving this, Vladimir Putin.

00:26This morning, all eyes on Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who this week unleashed

00:32the largest use of military force on the European continent since the Second World War.

00:37So many here didn't want to believe that the Russian leader,

00:41who spent 23 years at the top of Russian politics, would attack.

00:44But in the face of serious sanctions, he went ahead with a wide-reaching invasion.

00:49He feels that Ukraine is an inescapable part of the greater Russian nation.

00:55I think what he's trying to achieve is to create a world that respects Russia again.

01:01Putin, who was born in St. Petersburg in 1952, grew up an impoverished young man,

01:06before beginning his career as a member of the KGB,

01:09working for the Soviet Union's notorious spy agency for 15 years.

01:13From there, he turned to politics, becoming prime minister in 1999,

01:17then acting president the year after,

01:19cementing his reputation as both a cunning statesman and tough authoritarian.

01:22He's often acted in direct opposition to the U.S., accused of interfering in the 2016 election.

01:28And under his watch, Russia is accused of poisoning adversaries,

01:31like former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in the U.K. in 2018,

01:35and the dissident Alexei Navalny in 2020.

01:38The Russian government has denied responsibility and calls the accusations Western propaganda.

01:42Putin's feeling is that you should crush dissent at the earliest possible moment.

01:47So he is very sensitive to people who might be rivals.

01:51Despite that, Putin is popular with the Russians,

01:54and he likes to celebrate his macho persona in images like these.

01:58You know, most Russians looked at him as somebody who brought stability to Russia,

02:03and, you know, who was a great leader.

02:05In 2014, Putin hosted the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

02:09It is a great honor for me to address you today.

02:12Which all began with a personal pitch.

02:14George interviewed him in Russia in his first American broadcast interview in years ahead of those games.

02:19What do you say to Americans who see Russia and you not only as a rival, but an unfriendly adversary?

02:26Between major countries, there certainly always are some common ground and points of tension.

02:32With respect to athletes, I'd recommend and advise them not to think about the political differences.

02:39Politics should not interfere with sports, and sports should impact politics.

02:44In nearly a quarter century in power, Putin has faced down five different U.S. presidents,

02:49most recently going toe-to-toe with President Biden at a summit in June.

02:53Before that meeting, President Biden telling George this.

02:56So you know Vladimir Putin, you think he's a killer?

02:58Mm-hmm, I do.

03:00Now, concerns are growing about just how far Putin will go.

03:04I think he's reaching back deeper into history to recreate the Russian Empire, even before the Soviet Union.

03:11I think that he believes, perhaps is deluded to believe, that this is the moment when he can do that.

03:21For so long, Putin has consolidated an image as a cold, calculating statesman who only acts in strict, rational self-interest.

03:29But if he is indeed built hell-bent on rebuilding a Russian empire at any cost, there is a distinct threat beyond just Ukraine.

03:37Well, hey there, GMA fans.

03:39Robin Roberts here.

03:40Thanks for checking out our YouTube channel.

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03:54We thank you for watching, and we'll see you in the morning on GMA.

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