president for a third time in march 2012. medvedev didn't oppose him and once again was appointed his prime minister. >> it's a system that is created for him always to win. the chances that martians will come and save russians from putin are bigger than putin not winning in those elections. >> but for months before and after the election people took to the streets of moscow and other russian cities, claiming the electoral system was a sham. >> first 50, penthen 500, then 5,000 and eventually 200,000 people around the streets of moscow. putin's pissed, why are they protesting against me? i'm the one who made them rich. but the next is fear. these are the kinds of demonstration that's led to the collapse of the soviet union. and that's when he developed an argument that these people are not acting independently, that they're supported by america. >> putin viewed one american in particular as the mastermind