the berlin wall had just fallen. all over east germany angry crowds roamed the streets, lashing out at symbols of communist rule. that night in dresden they found a target, the local kgb headquarters. a mob surrounded the building. as the hour grew later the crowd grew larger. inside peering through the curtains was a young kgb lieutenant colonel named vladimir putin. he was terrified that they were going to storm the building. putin was a junior officer. but the boss was away. he was in charge. the berlin wall in come down. police weren t going to help. and he called for instructions. desperate for help, putin dialed kgb headquarters in moscow. over and over again. finally one official told him simply, moscow is silent. and i think it felt like a deep betrayal to him. vladimir putin was on his own. he went down into the bowels of the building and fired up the furnace. he finds himself in the basements at a furnace shoveling documents as he hears demonstrations
The TrumpPutin relationship is examined. Russia. Putin has an untrammeled authority. I dont see any checks on his power. He is able to make singular, rapid decisions. The absolutism there is unlike anything ive ever seen in russia. All that power is propped up by an astonishing Approval Rating, over 80 . And thats according to american pollsters. Donald trump wins the presidency. But when the United States elected a new president , it looked like russia had fallen for a new leader. There were toasts all over moscow. At the parliament, known as the duma. On talk shows. And at bars. [ laughter ] we are the champions of the world but one man seemed utterly unsurprised by trumps victory. Hes happy to take credit. And that means that he won the u. S. Election. The man who is simultaneously president of russia and in charge of the United States. At the heart of all this are some deadly serious questions. Does Vladimir Putin have some kind of hold over donald trump . We simply dont know. But
communism. three of the most powerful republics have joined forces and declared the old union dead. in 1991, the soviet union finally collapsed. tonight in moscow, the red flag of the failed soviet union at last came down. the flag of russia rose. 300 years of history eraced. soviet institutions ceased to exist. among them, vladimir putin s beloved kgb. it wasn t clear who he was anymore. suddenly russia began to look like united states. today we re opening the first mcdonald s in moscow. coca-cola. almost overnight. mickey mouse.
freedom came fast and exposed the rock at the heart of communism. all of a sudden anything was possible. three of the most powerful rgs joined forces and declared the old union dead. in 1991 the soviet union finally collapsed. tonight in moscow at the kremlin, the red flag of the failed soviet union at last came down and the flag of russia rose. three hundred years of history erased. soviet institutions ceased to exist, among them, vladimir putin s beloved kgb. it wasn t clear who he was any more. suddenly russia began to look like the united states. today we are opening the first mcdonald s in moscow. it s very nice. i like it.
recognize. his homeland had been transformed by mikhail gosh chef and his policy of openness, glasnost. the soviet experience with glasnost, people are talking more freely. there s a sense that people are changing. a romans with things western, the popular culture begins to transform, the media opens up, all in very rough ways. freedom came fast and it exposed the rock at the heart of communism. all of a sudden everything was possible. three of the most powerful republics have joined forces and declared the old union dead. in 1991 the soviet union finally collapsed. tonight in moscow at the kremlin, the red flag of the failed soviet union at last came down, and the flag of russia