„Putin vergiftet Generationen von Russen“: Michail Kasjanow über die Zukunft der Nation, die er einst führte

>When you became prime minister in 2000, what kind of country did you hope Russia might be by 2026?

>It was absolutely clear to me that Putin and I were committed to building a democratic Russia with a market economy. Putin supported the majority of reforms that I wanted and my cabinet pulled Russia out of the economic crisis to a trajectory of sustainable growth. We had excellent relations with the EU. We had good relations with the US. I even publicly announced that my country would be a full-fledged member of Nato and EU, that we were strategic partners, and our goal was a free-trade zone and visa-free zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok.

Anyone here remember what it was like when Putin and Kasyanov started their terms as young leaders of Russia? How was the vibe and sense of optimism back then, especially if you were living in Russia ?