Difficulties of Reagan's First Days in Office Incomparable With Russia in 1999

Vladimir Putin says that in his first days in office are incomparable with the difficulties Russia experienced in the end of 1999 and 2000.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The difficulties faced by former US President Ronald Reagan in his first days in office are incomparable with the difficulties Russia experienced in the end of 1999 and 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in the interview with US filmmaker Oliver Stone.

Putin became the acting president of the Russian Federation on December 31, 1999, upon resignation of Boris Yeltsin and then won the snap presidential election in March 2000.

"There is a big difference. After all, Reagan headed the United States, and whatever it was, no matter what the difficulties and problems there were, they are still incomparable with the difficulties and problems, which Russia experienced in late 1999-2000," Putin said in a fragment of the four-episode documentary series by Stone, when asked to compare the difficulties that he faced after becoming president with those that Reagan had to overcome in the early 1980s.

The Russian president added that it was necessary to "solve two problems: to find the right people and delegate responsibilities to them."

The first part of the film, dubbed The Putin Interviews, will be aired be the US Showtime television network on Monday at 9 p.m. ET (on Tuesday 01:00 GMT).