Vladimir Putin first came to power in 1999 when Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed him prime minister. Putin was then elected President of Russia in 2000, only to be re-elected again in 2004. In 2008, he resigned and served as Prime Minister again, only to be re-elected President in 2012. In all his years of reign, Vladimir Putin proved to be a successful Russian leader thanks to his economic policies, effective military reforms and treatment of his people. Vladimir Putin has been a successful Russian leader thanks to his economic policies. After Putin came to power, the economy grew by an average of 7% per year, and GDP increased by 75% (Novosti). This means that Russia managed to overcome the effects of the economic crisis of the 1990s, thus proving that Putin succeeded. “Under Putin's rule, Russia has become an energy superpower. This is due to a policy in which the government controls a substantial part of the oil and gas sector” (Novosti). This shows that Putin was a successful leader because he helped the Russian economy triumph enough to allow Russia to become a superpower. Russia has also managed to manage many oil revenues under Putin's rule. He even created the Stabilization Fund in 2004 (Novosti). This proves that Putin was successful in his economic policy because the profits generated by the fund helped pay off the debt of the Soviet Union. Although it appears that Putin has helped the Russian economy, the inflation rate has increased and continues to increase during his rule (Boesler). When the inflation rate increases, more people start to go hungry and even starve to death when they buy food. If Putin allows food prices to rise, he should not be considered a medium of paper and media, April 21, 2014. Web. April 25, 2014.Motyl, Alexander. “Putin’s strategy: good cop, bad cop. » CNN. Cable News Network, January 1. 1970. the canvas. April 25, 2014.Preston, Bryon. “Fresh from victory in Crimea, Putin aims to cause trouble elsewhere.” PJ Tatler's RSS. Np, March 19, 2014. Web. April 21, 2014 “Putin: All people in Russia are “equal”, in 70 other countries it is a crime to be gay. Political fact. Tampa Bay Times, January 19, 2014. Web. April 25, 2014. “The Russian economy under Vladimir Putin: achievements and failures.” RIA Novosti. Novosti, January 3, 2008. Web. 18 April 2014.Scarborough, Rowan. "Tactical Advantage: Russian Army Shows Off Impressive New Equipment." Washington Times. The Washington Times, April 20, 2014. Web. April 24, 2014. Taylor, Adam. "Putin's approval rating hits 80 percent." Washington Post. TheWashington Post, March 26, 2014. Web. April 25. 2014