...Second President of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Because of constitutionally mandated term limits he is the current Prime Minister of Russia. His sock puppet, Dmitry Medvedev, was installed in the 2008 presidential elections. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law. During his eight years in office Russia's economy bounced back from crisis, seeing GDP increase, poverty decrease and average monthly salaries increase. During his presidency Putin passed into law a series of fundamental reforms, including a flat income tax of 13%, a reduced profits tax, and new land and legal codes. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile...to Ukraine, aimed at tightening ties with Russia's neighbour, appeared to have the opposite effect Friday as leading figures castigated him for "rudeness" in showing up four hours late.
Putin on Thursday held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych in the Crimean resort of Yalta, seen as an attempt to smooth out a dispute over Ukraine's gas imports from Russia.
The Russian president arrived several hours behind schedule but rather than rushing to meet his host he instead went to greet a group of Russian bikers known as the "Night Wolves" whose events he has attended in the past.
After talking with his biker friends -- who included a legendary Russian biker known as the "Surgeon" -- Putin finally headed to Yalta to meet Yanukovych.
"President Putin exceeded the limits of a delay. He went to look at motorheads and their friends, showing his priorities" in Ukraine, Emergency Situations Minister Viktor Baloga wrote on his Facebook page.
Adding that once Putin finally showed up he failed to offer Ukraine any concession in the gas dispute, Baloga said: "It is no longer interesting for Ukraine to hear this. Kremlin, please change the music."
Former foreign minister Volodymyr Ogryzko fumed: "Instead of hurrying to the meeting he stopped to have a drink with the bikers. In my opinion this is a diplomatic slap or rudeness."
Leading commentator Vitaly Portnikov said that the meeting with the bikers was aimed at humiliating Yanukovych and undermining Ukraine's independence.