- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Putin: Yeltsin Gave Russia Freedom

© RIA Novosti . Sergey Mamontov / Go to the mediabankVladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday former leader Boris Yeltsin made many mistakes but gave Russia freedom.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday former leader Boris Yeltsin made many mistakes but gave Russia freedom.

Speaking during a meeting with supporters in Moscow, Putin said Yeltsin, the man behind his rise to power, had a “hard life.” Yeltsin, Russia's first post-Communist president, died of heart failure in 2007.

“The presidency is not a job, it’s a fate,” he said, admitting that Boris Yeltsin had “certain problems” when it came to drinking.

Putin is planning to have a go at the presidency himself again. Despite rising discontent, he is widely predicted to win next month’s presidential election.

“There were mistakes [during Yeltsin’s presidency]. But he did a lot in the sense that he gave [people] freedom. This is very important,” Putin said.

In a newspaper article on Monday, Putin said Yeltsin’s rule saw “a crisis of responsible political thinking.”

“In the 1990s, we were faced with anarchy and oligarchy,” he wrote.

 

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала