Putin, Russia and the West

Synopsis

This series tells the inside story of how Vladimir Putin, a consummate political operator with a background in the KGB, become a valued ally of the West. After eight years as President of Russia and four more as Prime Minister, Putin is stubbornly holding onto power. Featuring contributions from Putin’s top colleagues and the Western statesmen who have clashed with him, this documentary asks when his policies began to provoke deep concern in Washington and London. It looks back at how, in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, Putin quickly aligned Russia with the West, surprising many in the Kremlin. The world had changed but at home Putin was becoming increasingly authoritarian. The four programmes are: TAKING CONTROL; DEMOCRACY THREATENS; WAR and NEW START.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2012

Subjects

Politics & government

Keywords

international relations; Russia; politicians; Putin, Vladimir

Credits

Producer

Brian Lapping; Norma Percy

Contributor

Colin Powell; Condoleezza Rice; Dmitri Medvedev; Leonid Kuchma; Mikhail Kasyanov; Mikheil Saakashvili; Victor Yushchenko

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£780.00

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

240 minutes

Year

2013

Sections

Title

Taking Control

Synopsis

George W Bush met Putin in June 2001 and declared how he looked Putin in the eye and ‘got a sense of his soul’. Former US secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice recall their reactions to the discussions that took place behind closed doors, with Putin delivering a prophetic warning about Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban. Following the 9/11 attacks three months later, Putin quickly aligned Russia with the West, to the surprise of many in the Kremlin. The world might have changed, but at home Putin was becoming increasingly authoritarian - former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov recalls pivotal incidents.

Title

Democracy Threatens

Synopsis

Featuring an extraordinary interview with former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma, who tells how, in the 2004 election, he set about getting his chosen successor elected with the help of Putin and his Kremlin advisers. The opposition candidate, Victor Yushchenko, tells what it was like to be poisoned during the election campaign. Despite his increase in votes as a result, Putin/Kuchma-backed candidate was still declared the winner, sparking the Orange Revolution. Kremlin officials tell how they ensured Putin would not face a similar revolution at home.

Title

War

Synopsis

Russia’s president Dmitry Medvedev and Georgia’s president Mikheil Saakashvili reveal why, in August 2008, Russia went to war with America’s ally, Georgia. Condoleezza Rice and former secretary of defense Robert Gates reveal just how near to war the conflict brought the two nuclear super-powers as they describe what happened inside the National Security Council as President Bush considered whether to send in ground troops to save Georgia’s capital.

Title

New Start

Synopsis

The final episode tells the inside story of two relationships: Barack Obama’s campaign to win over Russia’s new President Dmitry Medvedev, and Medvedev’s own complex dealings with Vladimir Putin. Obama, determined to rid the world of nuclear weapons, needed Russian help to start the processs ans set out to reset relations via Medvedev. Senior officials on both sides take viewers deep inside the negotiations between the two lawyer-presidents. The film also reveals, through top Kremlin insiders, how a deal was struck for Medvedev to step aside for Putin’s nomination as their party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 election.

Production Company

Name

Brook Lapping Productions

Sponsor

Name

BBC

Notes

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributor

Name

BBC Active Video for Learning - now BBC Learning

Contact

Carolina Fernandez Jeremy Wilcox (CF - for educational enquiries JW - channel sales manager)

Email

BBCStudiosLearning@bbc.com

Web

https://www.bbcstudioslearning.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+44 (0) 20 8433 1009

Address

BBC Studios Limited
Television Centre
101 Wood Lane
London
W12 7FA
UK

Notes

The BBC Active company has now been absorbed within BBC Learning, a division of BBC Studios. It was originally a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Pearson Education. Formerly known as ‘BBC Worldwide Learning Studies’ and before that as ‘Videos for Education & Training’