Edward Snowden: Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin: He humiliated the United States by giving Edward Snowden asylum, bullied Ukraine into keeping its distance from Europe and brokered Syrias chemical weapons surrender after shielding Bashar Assads violent regime from international sanctions, according to The Star. But from the remote North Caucasus, a shadow has fallen over Putins lavish $50-billion Winter Olympics in Sochi, which open on Feb. 7 and which he vowed will be the safest ever and Russian President Vladimir Putin walked tall in 2013, for all of Russias stagnant growth, official corruption and social woes. Putin rounded out the year by boasting about Russias new-generation nuclear submarine and ballistic missile program. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.