Putin's People How the KGB took back control of Russia then took on the West

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'An outstanding exposé of Putin and his criminal pals ... [A] long-awaited, must read book' SUNDAY TIMES 'Books about modern Russia abound ... Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia' THE TIMES A chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB's renaissance, Putin's rise to power, and how Russian black cash is subverting the world. In Putin's People, former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs. Through exclusive interviews with key inside players, Belton tells how Putin's people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies, took over the economy, siphoned billions, blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers, shut down opponents, and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West. In a story that ranges from Moscow to London, Switzerland and Trump's America, Putin's People is a gripping and terrifying account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray, with stark consequences for its inhabitants and, increasingly, the world. 'A fearless, fascinating account ... Reads at times like a John le Carré novel ... A groundbreaking and meticulously researched anatomy of the Putin regime, Belton's book shines a light on the pernicious threats Russian money and influence now pose to the west' Guardian Interférence dans les élections américaines. Parrainage de la politique extrémiste en Europe. Guerre en Ukraine. Ces dernières années, la Russie de Vladimir Poutine a mené une campagne concertée pour étendre son influence et saper les institutions occidentales. Mais comment et pourquoi tout cela s'est-il produit, et qui l'a orchestré ? Dans Poutine's People, la journaliste d'investigation et ancienne correspondante à Moscou Catherine Belton révèle l'histoire inédite de la façon dont Vladimir Poutine et le petit groupe d'hommes du KGB qui l'entouraient ont accédé au pouvoir et pillé leur pays. En plongeant dans le fonctionnement du Kremlin de Poutine, Belton accède à des acteurs clés pour révéler comment Poutine a remplacé les magnats en roue libre de l'ère Eltsine par une nouvelle génération d'oligarques fidèles, qui à leur tour ont renversé l'économie et le système juridique de la Russie et étendu la portée du Kremlin dans le États-Unis et Europe. Le résultat est un exposé effrayant et révélateur de la revanche du KGB - une histoire qui commence dans l'obscurité de l'effondrement soviétique, lorsque des réseaux d'agents ont pu siphonner des milliards de dollars des entreprises d'État et déplacer leur butin vers l'Occident. Poutine et ses alliés ont par la suite complété le programme, réaffirmant le pouvoir russe tout en prenant le contrôle de l'économie pour eux-mêmes, supprimant les voix indépendantes et lançant des opérations d'influence secrètes à l'étranger.Allant de Moscou à Londres en passant par la Suisse et la plage de Brighton à Brooklyn, et rassemblant une distribution colorée de personnages assortis, Poutine's People est le récit définitif de la façon dont les espoirs pour la nouvelle Russie se sont égarés, avec des conséquences dramatiques pour ses habitants et, de plus en plus, le monde The Hacking Of The 2016 Us Elections. Sponsorship Of Extremist Politics In Europe. War In Ukraine. In Recent Years Vladimir Putin's Russia Has Waged A Concerted Campaign To Expand Its Influence And Undermine The West. This Rigorous And Revelatory Book Explains How This Happened, Putin's Rise To Power, And How Russian Black Cash Is Subverting The World. In Putin's People, Former Moscow Correspondent And Investigative Journalist Catherine Belton Tells The Untold Story Of The Rise Of Vladimir Putin And The Small Group Of Kgb Men Surrounding Him. Delving Deep Into The Workings Of Putin's Kremlin, Belton Accesses Key Inside Players To Reveal How Putin Replaced The Free-wheeling Tycoons Of The Yeltsin Era With A New Generation Of Loyal Oligarchs, Who In Turn Subverted Their Country's Economy And Legal System And Expanded Its Influence In The West. The Result Is A Chilling And Revelatory Expose Of The Kgb's Renaissance - A Story That Began Long Ago In The Murk Of The Soviet Collapse When Networks Of Operatives Were Able To Siphon Billions Of Dollars Out Of Russia And Into The West. After Putin's Takeover Of The Economy, Some Of These Networks Acquired New Flows Of Cash To Realise Their Goals. Based On Many Years Of Research, Belton Charts The Relentless Seizure Of Private Companies And The Installation Of Those Closest To Putin Into The Richest, Highest Seats Of Power. Ranging From Moscow To London, Switzerland And Trump's America, And Introducing A Colourful Cast Of Characters, Putin's People Is A Gripping And Terrifying Account Of How Hopes For The New Russia Went Astray, With Stark Consequences For Its Inhabitants And, Increasingly, The World. Title Page 2 Copyright 3 Dedication 4 Epigraph 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Dramatis Personae 10 Prologue 14 PART ONE 28 1. ‘Operation Luch’ 29 2. Inside Job 57 3. ‘The Tip of an Iceberg’ 87 4. Operation Successor: ‘It Was Already After Midnight’ 115 5. ‘Children’s Toys in Pools of Mud’ 148 PART TWO 171 6. ‘The Inner Circle Made Him’ 172 7. ‘Operation Energy’ 201 8. Out of Terror, an Imperial Awakening 228 9. ‘Appetite Comes During Eating’ 257 PART THREE 285 10. Obschak 286 11. Londongrad 318 12. The Battle Begins 337 13. Black Cash 364 14. Soft Power in an Iron Fist – ‘I Call Them the Orthodox Taliban’ 384 15. The Network and Donald Trump 410 Epilogue 447 Picture Section 457 Notes 483 Index 660 Acknowledgements 691 About the Author 695 About the Publisher 696 Copyright 701 Title Page 702 Dedication 703 Contents 712 Chapter 1: ‘I’m thinking’ – Oh, but are you? 713 Chapter 2: Renegade perception 739 Chapter 3: The Pushbacker sting 774 Chapter 4: ‘Covid’: The calculated catastrophe 797 Chapter 5: There is no ‘virus’ 832 Chapter 6: Sequence of deceit 859 Chapter 7: War on your mind 900 Chapter 8: ‘Reframing’ insanity 943 Chapter 9: We must have it? So what is it? 985 Chapter 10: Human 2.0 1025 Chapter 11: Who controls the Cult? 1049 Chapter 12: Escaping Wetiko 1098 Postscript 1136 Appendix: Cowan-Kaufman-Morell Statement on Virus Isolation 1155 Bibliography 1160 Index 1162 The hacking of the 2016 US elections. The sponsorship of extremist politics in Europe. War in Ukraine. In recent years, Vladimir Putin's Russia has waged a concerted campaign to expand its influence and undermine Western institutions. But how and why did all this come about and who has orchestrated it? In Putin's People, investigative journalist Catherine Belton tells the untold story of the rise to power of Vladimir Putin and the small group of KGB men surrounding him. Delving deep into the workings of Putin's Kremlin, Belton accesses key inside players to reveal how Putin replaced the free-wheeling tycoons of the Yeltsin era with a new generation of loyal oligarchs, who in turn subverted their country's economy and legal system and expanded its influence into the West. The result is a chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB's revanche - a story that began long ago in the murk of the Soviet collapse when networks of operatives were able to siphon billions of dollars out of Russia and into the West. After Putin's takeover of the economy, these networks acquired new flows of cash to realize their goals. Ranging from Moscow to London, Switzerland and Brighton Beach, and introducing a colorful cast of characters, Putin's People is the definitive account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray, with stark consequences for its inhabitants and, increasingly, the world THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'An outstanding expose of Putin and his criminal pals ... [A] long-awaited, must read book' SUNDAY TIMES 'Books about modern Russia abound ... Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia' THE TIMES ‘meticulously Researched And Superbly Written ... The Putin Book That We’ve Been Waiting For.’ Oliver Bullough, Author Of Moneyland ‘books About Modern Russia Abound ... Belton Has Surpassed Them All. Her Much-awaited Book Is The Best And Most Important On Modern Russia ... Hair-raising’ The Times