Vladimir Putin - Obama Presidency Oral History Back Vladimir Putin Index / People Transcripts Jeremy Bash ...Skripal, was one of the individuals who Vladimir Putin later tried to track down in th... John Kerry ...wrong way. He made terrible mistakes. [Vladimir] Putin actually said that to me in ... ...to find a political solution to Syria, Putin said, “Let me tell you something... ...Donbas [Donetsk Basin], et cetera. Putin moved things right then and there... ...as we learned in our meetings with Putin , because we actually got things don... Hillary Clinton ...of being gay in a country. I saw how [Vladimir] Putin began to manipulate the church, th... ...famously contentious relationship with Putin , and he certainly wreaked hi... ...everything back again. You mentioned Vladimir Putin . I think it's important that we tal... ...seized the two breakaway provinces that Putin wanted, one for his Black Sea Balti... ...directly with someone other than Putin . I thought it was pretty clear tha... ...I thought it was pretty clear that Putin was still the puppet master, but ho... ...build a relationship with Medvedev, and Putin let him. There were some decisions tha... ...decisions that we knew went back to Putin , but Putin basically either said, “Le... ...that we knew went back to Putin, but Putin basically either said, “Let Dmitry d... ...projects that were complementary with Putin that he was pursuing. I think that th... ...we did. To be fair, even though we knew Putin let it happen, we got a New STAR... ...in those three areas, or because Putin , as prime minister, gave Medvedev som... ...we learned is that, in dealing with Putin 's Russia, it's very difficult to eve... ...Union. So I think you've got to take Putin 's personality, his view of history... ...more from their government. And as Putin regained—he never lost power, but as h... ...Church that had become a big partner of Putin . So I think he saw all of the freedo... ...countries when it comes to dealing with Putin 's Russia. We certainly worked closel... ...Russia, because it's unclear what Putin would do, or it just didn't seem to b... ...about the damage that an emboldened Putin could cause to us and to ou... ...Le Pen go to Moscow and sit down with Putin , and know that Putin was funnelin... ...and sit down with Putin, and know that Putin was funneling money to her party. Tha... ...launch a big propaganda effort. So, Putin was always a problem. He never stoppe... ...any choice. And we had to deal with Putin . But we also¸ I don't think, full... ...bigger historic happening than whatever Putin was up to. And I think there was ... ...Ukraine, because I just believed that Putin was acting out that old Leninist adage... ...think there was an attitude about Putin , that he was a performer, that he wa... ...I just think that people discounted Putin because he was such a peacock. He wa... ...ups and the downs, or pushing back on Putin so that he doesn't get even mor... Show more... Tom Donilon ...McFaul was always big on this, that [Vladimir] Putin was always in the background. Our vie... ...out there doing a lot of things that Putin , who was then prime minister—basicall... ...approve. Now, ultimately, I think Putin and Medvedev got crosswise o... ...relationship was very much geared on Putin 's return to the presidency. I mean, ... ...the presidency. I mean, I went to see Putin , at the president's direction, th... ...we had time with Medvedev, but with Putin 's return, things would be in a ver... ...done we wanted to get done. But when Putin returned, it would be a differen... ...reported to the president that in fact, Putin was going in a different directio... ...in a different direction here. And Putin made it very clear publicly, includin... ...Medvedev's part. Even when I met with Putin , he was always going on about how, “W... Show more... Antony Blinken ...extent he was emerging as a rival to [Vladimir] Putin even, or whether he really was just ... ...going to give way at some point when Putin could get the constitution in line wit... Leon Panetta ...come down, let me tell you, this guy Putin is still an influence. He comes out o... ...I think after Medvedev left and Putin stayed in power, it was pretty clea... ...never had a very good relationship with Putin . That also played out, I think, i... ...knows what Trump's relationship is with Putin . But what it confirmed is that, wit... Joanna Rosholm ...he's like, “Guys, I've got to talk to [Vladimir] Putin in ten minutes. Can we hurry this up?... ...to speed this up. I've got a call with Putin .” I remember once at the Kids' Stat... Gil Kerlikowske ...mayor's office in Saint Petersburg with [Vladimir] Putin , they joined the KGB, and then, o... ...joined the KGB, and then, of course, Putin brought him in to run their drug czar'... 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