[Long-read] Do you see us as barbarians? Then we will be — An eyewitness account of how the West helped turn 1990s Russia into a breeding ground for Putin

Czech journalist Petra Procházková recounts Putin’s 1999 rise from obscurity, sparked by his mafioso “crapper” speech after Moscow bombings. Fueled by deep Russian humiliation from Western arrogance and guided by cunning strategists, this "rattlesnake" seized absolute power, transforming resentment into terrifying autocracy.