Pu ‧ tin, Vlad ‧ i ‧ mir /ˈpuːtɪn, ˈvlædəmɪəʳ/ BrE AmE
(1952–) a Russian politician who was President of Russia (2000–08). He was known as a strong leader who supported the Russian military in Chechnya. Before becoming president, Putin worked for the KGB for many years.