Putin, the then head of Russian intelligence, was appointed acting Prime Minister by former President Boris Yeltsin on August 9, 1999.
Since then, he has been re-elected as President of Russia, Prime Minister as well as re-elected as President after changing the constitution and has been seen as the undisputed leader of his country.
The popularity of the Russian leader, who gained 84 percent of the popular vote in 2000, has never been less than 60 percent, according to Russian media.
However, under Putin's rule, Russia and the Western world are now growing distant due to the annexation of Crimea and the breakup of Ukraine.