AS Vladimir Putin celebrates 25 years of rule over Russia, his first speech as president resurfaced showing a slew of broken promises and the emergence of a very different leader.
A quarter of a century ago on New Year’s Eve, Putin was entrusted with the Kremlin for the first time.
Footage from his address on December 31, 1999, shows him committing himself to “freedom” and “democracy” for Russia.
Today, 25 years later, its main political enemies have been murdered or imprisoned, repression is rife, elections are rigged and Europe is mired in the worst confrontation since World War II, with thousands of deaths.
The despot also managed a coup attempt and large-scale protests.
It was on the eve of the new millennium that Putin came into force when then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin suddenly resigned.
Yeltsin had saved Russia from communist oppression and given it a chance to have a bright future.
By resigning, he ceded power to his little-known prime minister, former KGB spy Vladimir Putin, whom he knew would protect his interests.
“Why cling to power for six more months when the country has a strong leader who can be its president, a man on whom nearly all Russians are pinning their hopes for the future?” Yeltsin said during his resignation.
“Why stand in his way?”
Few could have guessed that Putin would be such a tyrant, having murdered his main feuding parties, Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny.
In 1999, the 47-year-old promised: “Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the media, the right to property – those basic elements of a civilized society will be reliably obtained through State”.
But, it was not to be.
Historical footage shows him – with midnight on the new millennium just seconds away in Moscow – making promises that over the years he betrayed, enriching himself and his cronies with palaces and secret fortunes while impoverishing his country.
Since then, Putin, now 72, has held on strong after the March 2000 election and was then re-elected in 2004, 2012, 2018 and 2024.
Between 2008 and 2012 he served as prime minister yet retained his stranglehold on Russia which lasts to this day and is set to continue.
Putin’s first act as president to grant his predecessor Yeltsin immunity from corruption charges.
Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun that Putin had started out his reign seemingly normal, but the megalomania had always been there.
He said: “You don’t really know anyone until they assume that position of power.”
In his first address as leader on New Year’s Eve 25 years ago, Putin vowed there would not be a “power vacuum” in Russia.
He said: “Dear friends! Tonight, on New Year’s Eve, like you, I will hear the greeting words of Russian President Boris Yeltsin to my circle of family and friends. But it happened differently.
“Today, on 31 December 1999, the first President of Russia decided to resign. He asked me to address the country.
“Dear Russians! Dear compatriots! Today I have been entrusted with the duty of the head of state.
“In three months’ time, the election of the President of Russia will take place. I draw your attention to the fact that there will not be a power vacuum in the country for a minute.
“There is and will not be any. I must warn you that any attempt to go beyond Russian laws, beyond the Russian Constitution, will be resolutely repressed.
“Freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, freedom of the media, the right to property: these basic elements of a civilized society will reliably pass through the state. “
And he continued: “The Armed Forces, the Federal Border Guard Service and the authorities carry out their task as usual.
“The State has ensured and will continue to guarantee the protection of our citizens.
“In making his decision on the transfer of power, the President acted in full compliance with the Constitution of the country. It will only be possible to truly assess how much this man has done for Russia after some time.
“If it is already evident that Russia has followed the path of democracy and reforms, that it has not deviated from this path and that it has managed to announce itself as a strong and independent state, that is its wonderful merit.
“I would like Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, to be fit and happy.
“New Year’s Eve is the brightest, kindest and maximum holiday in Russia.
“As you know, dreams come true on New Year’s Day. And in such a normal New Year, even more so. All the smart things and all the smart things you’ve planned will come true.
“Dear friends! We are just seconds away from the year 2000. Let’s smile to our relatives and friends.
“Let’s wish each other warmth, happiness, love. And let’s raise our glasses for the new century of Russia, for love and peace in each of our homes, for the health of our parents and children.
“Happy New Year! Happy new century!”
Today, Putin’s force turns out to be more powerful than ever, both inside and outside the country.
Russian forces continued their war in Ukraine, while all Russian adversaries were eliminated from the scene and Putin’s re-election secured his position in power.
In his 25th New Year’s speech, which will be broadcast throughout Russia in each of the country’s time zones, Putin promised that Russia would “move forward” in 2025.
He said: “And now, on the threshold of the new year, we are thinking about the future. We are sure that everything will be fine, we will move forward.
“We know for sure that the absolute value for us was, is and will be the fate of Russia, the well-being of its citizens,” he said.
The despot also paid tribute to those on the frontline in Ukraine calling them “true heroes.”
He announced that 2025 would be identified as the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia.
Just days ago, he told the BBC that Russia took a knee when it took force and that its leaders had “pulled it out of the abyss”.
“We are facing a generalized loss of sovereignty,” he stated.
But, some believe that Putin’s iron grip on power is built on foundations of sand and could easily and quickly fall through his hands.
Last year, Putin was almost removed in a coup attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner group.
Dr Mendoza said: “I think what the Prigozhin’s march told us was that the regime is only ever one step away from disaster, one step away from falling, and although Putin may have a superficial control over intelligence over the business community if a real threat emerges to his power, it’s very unclear whether he’d survive it.”
The Russian expert said Putin is now less confident than he was five years ago, having failed to achieve the decisive victory he promised in Ukraine.
“I think the biggest challenge he faces now is that he didn’t win the war in Ukraine,” Mendoza said.
“He promised he would win, and in a sense, despite all the propaganda and all the narratives, the Russians will know something is wrong when Ukrainian drones attack Moscow. “
The ageing leader will also carry fears about who will succeed him as his health and age continue to spark concern.
The despot has a very different silhouette from the one he had 25 years ago.
In 1999, Putin was slim and younger despite being in his fifties, but now his fitness problems are due to his swollen face, strange tremors and shaky legs.
Such concerns have seen the Kremlin rush out unprecedented comments and statements to fight the image of an ageing and decrepit leader.
The Kremlin’s concerns about the president’s “strongman” image come after it took a hit due to dramatic changes in his appearance.
He has been seen looking exhausted, out of breath, having difficulty walking, and pulling bizarre gurning faces.
There were also times when Putin appeared to be in some pain while gripping meeting tables tightly, sparking rumors about Parkinson’s disease.
Around the same time, in 2022, experts began noticing her “swollen” and “weakened” appearance, with some saying she might have had thyroid cancer.
It was initially suggested that Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine on February 24 may have been sparked by his failing physical condition.
But the Kremlin continues to deny that the dictator has any problems.
With Putin’s uncertain succession, Russia could simply enjoy a crisis point.
Most of his allies are the same age and Putin has made it clear that he will start a dynasty.
Mendoza said that if Putin were to die suddenly, it could even trigger a civil war.
He said: “It [the system] is very much based on Putin’s own personal power and there is obviously the potential for a collapse.
“If he dies and this is unclear, it might be warfare between various factions who might want to take over.”
DESPITE the fact that Putin considers himself a “man of action”, doubts have long been raised about his health.
The leader’s facial features have changed over time, reportedly and could lead to imaginable symptoms of a serious illness affecting Putin.
After explosive documents were submitted to The Sun newspaper, rumors arose about the Russian president’s Parkinson’s disease and pancreatic cancer.
A persistent rumor is that dozens of Putin impersonators – who have undergone years of painful plastic surgeries – are being ruthlessly trained through the FSB and kept under “constant surveillance. ”
Based on the transformative nature of Vlad’s face and the strange changes in his behavior, commentators alleged that these replacements attended public appearances, crowds, and meetings.
Alongside all of this, some other tell-tale signs have loomed over him for years.
He is regularly seen twitching on his public sightings and is unsteady on his feet, and out of breath on occasion.
Mad Vlad noticed him holding a thick blanket while watching a parade in 2022 and even noted swaying and mumbling while talking with a glass of champagne in hand.
But his alleged fitness disorders hit a new low after it emerged that he had dirty himself in a fall at his home.
Putin was photographed with alleged IV lines on the back of his hand, amid rumors that he may also suffer from other types of cancer, including abdominal cancer.
The ageing president is also followed around by a huge team of doctors who reportedly chaperone him on all of his trips in case of a medical emergency.
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