and Russian President 's former political relationship is likely one of the extra complicated bonds in latest historical past.
Solely this 12 months did the previous UK Prime Minister state that "one factor is evident: can't be allowed to win".
Issues have been fully totally different 20 years in the past when Sir Tony was in energy and Putin had lately grow to be Russian President after the resignation of Boris Yeltsin.
final 12 months present that in early 2001, Sir Tony believed Putin's presence in Western political discourse was very important, and even urged for him to be given a seat on the world's "prime desk", regardless of misgivings voiced by officers.
This was on the flip of the century, a complete 12 months after Sir Tony and Putin had one in every of their first encounters when the ex-PM travelled to St Petersburg on a controversial "unofficial state go to".
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Sir Roderic Lyne, who was on the time serving as British ambassador to , travelled with Sir Tony and witnessed first-hand his rise and consolidation of energy.
The entourage attended a brand new manufacturing of Struggle and Peace on the Mariinsky Theatre, and whereas spirits have been excessive, Sir Roderic says he detected early on that Putin was "fairly nervous" and “wasn’t in any respect positive learn how to play the chief”.
The matters mentioned included Chechnya — a delicate situation on the time as the primary Chechen conflict had solely lately ended and the second began.
A brutal winter siege had decreased the to rubble and dirt, leaving many homeless and indignant at Moscow and its new president.
of the journey: “We obtained on to Chechnya, too, which was a topic of huge concern within the West.
"There was a whole lot of criticism of the way in which the Russians have been conducting it. Putin would grow to be very aggressive and defensive.
“He would go into a protracted, very emotional, barely indignant monologue as a way to lower off the stuff that he did not need to reply.”
The next month Putin made the reverse journey, travelling to London to satisfy with Sir Tony. .
A joint press convention between the 2 leaders was arrange, through which Putin launched right into a "rambling rant" about Chechnya after a journalist requested a query in regards to the conflict.
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Sir Roderic stated: “That simply units Putin off and he obtained very indignant. He gave a really lengthy, extremely colored reply. Blair’s wanting very embarrassed.
“He is simply saying how great issues are. After which there's this man ranting and raving about Chechnya. It was that facet of Putin popping out.”
The previous diplomat stated he concluded very early on that Putin had two sides: " “: Putin, the rational pragmatist who was attempting to enhance .
“After which the opposite Putin: very insecure, barely paranoid, a tough boy from the again streets of St Petersburg, an ex-KGB officer who had been introduced up in and believed within the Soviet Union.”
The golden period of UK-Russian relations principally ended after the deadly poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, an occasion that many say was given the inexperienced mild on Putin's watch.
When Moscow refused to extradite — wished by British police for the homicide of Litvinenko – Britain expelled 4 Russian diplomats.
in flip expelled 4 British diplomats, the episode nonetheless comparatively uncooked in British-Russian relations.
Issues solely worsened in 2014 when Putin ordered the annexation of Crimea from and nosedived after the .
Just about all ties have been damaged off between the 2 international locations when invaded in 2022.