What has President Putin done for Russia?

After 14 consecutive years holding the two highest positions of power in Russia, President Vladimir Putin received a general assessment that he had succeeded in bringing Russia from the brink of collapse and chaos in the late 1990s back to the full position of a great power in the first decade of the 21st century.

The following telling numbers will illustrate this more clearly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: AFP/VNA)

1. In 14 years, Mr. Putin has increased the Russian budget 22 times, increased defense spending 30 times and GDP 12 times. Russia has surpassed 30 countries to move from 36th to 6th place in the ranking of countries with the largest GDP in the world.

2. Increase national gold reserves by 48 times.

3. Recovering 256 precious mineral mines that were privatized after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

4. Nationalize 65% of the oil industry, 95% of the gas industry and many other important industrial sectors that are the backbone of the Russian economy.

5. Bringing Russian agriculture to the top position in the world. In the past five years, Russia has continuously held the 2nd and 3rd positions in grain exports, surpassing the US.

6. Increase average income per capita for those receiving salaries from the budget by 18.5 times, and pension by 14 times.

7. Reduce the population decline rate from 1.5 million people/year in 1999 to 21 thousand people/year in 2011, equivalent to 71 times.

8. Early repayment of Paris Billionaires Club's $400 billion state loan.

9. Thoroughly resolve the issue of Chechen separatism, effectively combat separatism and terrorism in Russia's North Caucasus region.

10. Prevent war from spreading in Syria, pull the trigger on Iran.

11. Annexing Crimea to the Russian Federation, a decision supported by the majority of Russian people but met with opposition from many countries./.

According to VNA