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During the post-Soviet chaos there was escalating violence in Chechnya, a region that informally seceded from Russia in the mid-90s.
在混乱的后苏联期间，车臣地区的暴力升级，并在90年代中期非正式地脱离了俄罗斯。
Chechen war lords and terrorists were pushing into Russian territory and attacking the border.
车臣的军阀和恐怖分子不断往俄罗斯的管辖范围推进，还对边境地区发起了攻击。
In August 1999, a series of deadly bombings killed more than 300 people in several Russian cities, including Moscow.
1999年8月，他们在包括莫斯科在内的若干俄罗斯城市制造了一系列致命的爆炸事件，造成300多人死亡。
Putin, the new prime minister, immediately blames Chechen separatists for the attack.
新任总理普京立即指责了车臣分离分子。
He regularly appears in Russian television claiming he will avenge Russia.
他经常在俄罗斯电视上扬言他要为俄罗斯报仇。
The population quickly rallies around him.
俄罗斯民众迅速倒向普京一边。
Putin's approval ratings jump from 2% before the bombing to forty-five percent after the bombings.
他的支持率从轰炸前的2％上升一下子上升到了45%。
Journalists later uncovered evidence that suggests Russian security services could have been complicit in the Moscow bombings,
记者随后揭露，有证据表明俄罗斯安全部门可能在莫斯科爆炸事件中扮演了同谋角色，
perhaps knowing they would spark support for a strong man like Putin.
也许他们知道那样能提高俄罗斯民众对普京那种强势领导人的支持率。
But a closed state investigation quickly quashed any dissenting theories.
然而，某州内部调查迅速推翻了所有的反对言论。
So Russia launches a popular and devastating war in Chechnya.
于是，俄罗斯在车臣发动了一场广泛且极具破坏性的战争。
The capital city of Grozny was leveled by Russian bombing and some estimated close to 80 thousand people died.
首都格罗兹尼被俄罗斯的轰炸所夷为平地，估计死亡人数在8万人左右。
And in less than a year Russia successfully brings Chechnya back under its control.
在不到一年的时间里，俄罗斯成功地让车臣回到了自己的控制之下。
In December 1999 Yeltsin resigns, making Putin the interim president.
1999年12月，叶利钦辞去俄罗斯总统职务，普京担任临时总统职务。
In May, during the bloody campaign in Chechnya, Putin wins the presidential election.
次年5月，在对车臣发动血腥战役期间，普京赢得了总统大选。
He begins to shape the Russian state to his vision.
从此开始按照他自己的设想来塑造这个国家。
Patronage and corruption remain some of his key tools, but he quickly suppresses the oligarchs under his rule.
赞助和腐败仍然是他的核心手段，但他很快就把寡头们压制了下来。
Those that support Putin are rewarded, those that don't are eliminated.
支持普京会得到奖励，否则就会被淘汰。
"Well once Russia's richest man, imprisoned Kremlin critic and former oil magnate, Mikhail Khodorkovsky was sentenced to 14 years in jail.
“曾经身为俄罗斯首富兼前石油巨头后被拘禁的克里姆林宫评论家米哈伊尔·霍多尔科夫斯基被判14年监禁。
This on a new conviction of embezzling oil.
这一次他的罪名是盗窃石油。
This is effectively a vendetta from Vladimir Putin for getting involved in opposition of politics."
这一次实际上是弗拉基米尔·普京在报复他参与反政治活动。”
With the oligarchy tamed, Putin was now free to move his vision outside of Russia's borders.
驯服了寡头，普京终于可以将自己的视野转移到境外了。
At the time relations with the US are fairly good.
彼时，俄罗斯与美国的关系还算稳定。
Putin even vacationed at George W. Bush's summer home.
普京甚至还去乔治·W·布什的避暑别院度了个假。
I looked a man in the eye I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy.
“我会透过眼睛去看一个人，这次我看到的是一个坦诚、可信的人。”
But things were about to change....
然而，变化即将来临....
In August 2008, Russia invades Georgia, a former Soviet republic.
2008年8月，俄罗斯侵入前苏联共和国成员格鲁吉亚。
It's a display of aggression and strength on behalf of pro-Russian separatists there.
代表格鲁吉亚境内的亲俄分裂分子展现了他们的侵略意图和侵略实力。
Russia quickly annexes two small parts of Georgia, drawing condemnation from all over the world.
俄罗斯很快吞并了格鲁吉亚的两个小地区，引起了世界各地一片谴责。
Interestingly though, Putin was not president during the invasion.
有趣的是，入侵期间普京还不是总统。
See, the Russian Constitution says the president can only serve two consecutive terms,
俄罗斯宪法规定总统只能连任两届，
but sets no limit on the total number of terms one can serve.
但并未规定总任期的届数。
So Putin took the Prime Minister role again when his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev served as president.
所以普京精心挑选了一个接班人德米特里·梅德韦杰夫，自己则当起了首相。
When Obama is elected US president in 2008, he attempts to reset relations with Russia.
2008年当选美国总统时，奥巴马意图改善美俄两国的关系。
And they make some progress. Most notably to limit both country's nuclear arsenals.
他们也取得了一些进展。最明显的就是限制了两国的核武库。
But Putin remains paranoid about US intentions and remains opposed to these new relations.
但普京对美国的心思仍然持有疑虑，所以一直比较反对建立新联系。
He's particularly bothered by US interventions in the Middle East, especially in Libya in 2011.
他对美国干预中东，尤其是2011年介入利比亚战争的做法十分恼火。
He publicly criticized Medvedev for not vetoing the action in the UN Security Council.
比如，他曾公开批评梅德韦杰夫没有否决联合国安理会的行动。
