About Putin, it appears he was an undistinguished functionary during his time at the KGB. It wasn't until he got into politics that he started to get noticed as

About Putin, it appears he was an undistinguished functionary during his time at the KGB. It wasn't until he got into politics that he started to get noticed as an effective operator. His KGB experience doesn't seem to have imbued him with any great analytical ability, though it has left him with paternalistic feelings toward his old outfit. As for balanced coverage of the Kremlin, I wish I could find a good source. The NYT and WaPo seem to uncritically accept the narratives from Washington and Ukrainian sources. In military affairs, I know of a few European analysts who rely more on direct observation and their accounts differ considerably from mass media. For political analysis, the people whose past work I consider the most knowledgeable and careful seem to be largely silent now. Maybe, in the lack of solid intel, they consider it most responsible to not say anything.