Twenty Years of Putin Playing the West in 3 Minutes | NYT Opinion

Vladimir Putin, especially these days, is widely reviled. To some he’s a war criminal, to others he’s a dictator, and to many he’s simply a very bad man.

But it wasn’t always this way.

We trawled through video footage from 20 years of international summits, speeches and news conferences and discovered a man who once basked in high regard: the one who went fishing and dancing with George W. Bush, who fell into warm embraces with Tony Blair and whose jokes had NATO’s leaders rolling on the floor with laughter.

As the Opinion Video above starkly reveals, Western leaders once considered Vladimir Putin not just an ally, but also, apparently, a friend.

Even if they were simply giving him the benefit of the doubt for political purposes, they were taking a naïve gamble of historic proportions: Be nice to Putin, and maybe he would be nice back.

It’s true that this brand of personal diplomacy scored some significant security victories. Arms control treaties were signed, and Putin allowed U.S. jets to strike the Taliban from bases in Russia’s satellite states.

But as Russian tanks rolled into Georgia in August 2008, Bush learned that his eight-year friendship with the Russian leader had earned him zero leverage over Putin’s territorial ambitions.

While it’s debatable whether Western governments could have foreseen the bloody horizon of Putin’s vision, let’s now be clear about one thing: Personal diplomacy doesn’t work when you need it most.

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[anonjan]

As far as I can see he was totally honest and clear. Problem was that nobody took him serious.

[natedeichard]

Now do 100 years of the US playing with the World in 30 hours.

[kamrad_ichu]

Putin: "I am not friend, foe, bride or groom for West. I am President of Russia".

[Moribus_Artibus]

It's adorable how the NY Times makes it seem like they weren't played in all these years as well.

[heristyono]

"He's not going into Ukraine"

Well, technically, it's true, he's still in Moscow

[sonsoeg]

He has not played the west, he has always been clear on what he wants

[ElaraMorwen]

For people confused with the “soviet” joke - its a wordplay. “Soviet” means “council” in russian.

[jr.fidelcastro]

Never try hide and seek with an ex veteran KGB-soldier.

[josephhebert]

You can't claim that he was playing the West if the West was trying to play him at the same time problem is we couldn't keep our story straight because we kept electing people who disagreed with each other so we feel like he was getting over on us the whole time

[ChrisPeck-niganma]

“History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.” --Mark Twain

[eightmuzik]

Just because he didn't bow to any demand you don't like him. That's the whole reason. He doesn't play by your rules because you're hipocrites.

[reverie]

I'm very happy you kept comments on.

[benaldinhomasaba]

Putin: “I suggest from now on, the head quarters of Nato should be renamed The Council of Soviets” really hits hard.

[miguelpoky]

The Soviet joke was wild 😅 especially when the person asks if it was a joke and then he just smiles.

[stefm.]

And he wasn't gonna go to the Ukraine but the americans made him do the move. Don't be fooled people.

[HFDLI]

When you sit on the same chair for more than 20 years, you know how the game played.

[vasilimici]

“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”

-Sun Tzu

[annacartel]

Missed one key issue here - Putin's Munich speach. Add it to make the full picture

[masterdarkdeath]

West really thought the Russian bear had became a puppy, nahhhh!

[linkmeforfun]

It is the West that tried to play Putin in a geopolitical chess game. But, Putin being the master of chess, the West has been outplayed.