
HowdidapoorboyfromatinyflatinStPetersburgbecomeoneoftheworld'smostpowerfulleaders?<br/> AdmiredbyTrump,andfearedbyhisrivals,ontheeveofhisalmostcertainre-electionaspresidentofRussia,TheNewTsarrevealsthestoryofVladimirPutin'sextraordinaryrisetopower-fromalowlyKGBcoloneltoBorisYeltsin'sright-handmanandultimatelyhissuccessor.<br/> TherearerevelationsfromPutin'sinnercircleattheKremlin,includingformerconfidanteSergeiPugachev,whohelpedPutintopower,beforefallingfromfavour.Chess-masterGaryKasparovrecountshisfailedattempttostandagainsthimandOligarchMikhailKhordokovsky,whowasjailedandstrippedofhiswealth,speaksoftheconsequencesofexperiencingthewrathofPutin.<br/> TheprogrammealsohearsfromformerHomeSecretaryJackStraw,whorecallsPutin'sfirstencounterwithTonyBlair,theleaderwhoPutinapparentlyattemptedtomodelhimselfon,andStrawwrylyobservesthatthetwoare"verysimilar".<br/> FormerForeignSecretaryWilliamHagueentertainedPutinduringtheLondon2012OlympicGamesandbondedoverasharedloveofJudo-butlaterfoundhewasunabletoinfluencethedecisiontoinvadeCrimea.