Hi Yuri-
Thank you for undertaking this important project. I saw how perjorative the Democratic presidential candidates were in tonight's debate, when asked about Putin and Medvedev. Something told me there was another side to their story, and I'm sure glad I found your site.

After watching the above video, I was surprised to learn that Putin was supportive of the Bush administration. I was under the impression that Russia had been one of the more vocal critics of America's invasion of Iraq.

Regarding Putin's support of Bush.
I think Mr. Putin appreciated the position Mr. Bush is in. He may not agree with him, but he recognizes that President Bush has hard decisions to make, a position that is not fun or enviable.

Certainly the Iraq war is controversial, and a point of contention with most European countries. But again, hard choices were made, and Bush is the one who made them.

Putin probably recognizes the difficulty of leading a diverse, reactionary (my words) country with less than "absolute" power; something Putin enjoys, without directly stating it.