Page "Chris Patten" Paragraph 18

According to information from the US Embassy in Brussels ( published by Wikileaks in November 2010 ): Patten said in April 2004 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has done a good job for Russia mainly due to high world energy prices, but he had serious doubts about the man ’ s character.

Cautioning that “ I ’ m not saying that genes are determinant ,” Patten then reviewed the Putin family history – grandfather part of Lenin ’ s special protection team ; father a communist party apparatchik, and Putin himself decided at a young age to pursue a career in the KGB.

“ He seems a completely reasonable man when discussing the Middle East or energy policy, but when the conversation shifts to Chechnya or Islamic extremism, Putin ’ s eyes turn to those of a killer .”