Who is Putin's Best Friend? Exploring the Russian President's Deepest Bonds

Putin's list of close friends includes some names with whom he has had extremely close relationships. Some friendships date back to his childhood, while others are from his KGB days.

Who is Putin’s real best friend: Russian President Vladimir Putin recently visited India. China and Pakistan were taken aback by his chemistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India and Russia share a long-standing relationship. Meanwhile, China has also been trying to portray itself as close to Russia. Some time ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping had declared Putin his best friend. However, is Jinping also the best friend for Vladimir Putin?

Putin's Closest Associate: Sergei Roldugin

Not much information about Vladimir Putin emerges from Russia, and what does come out is heavily filtered. There are only a few names that can be called the President's best friend. Sergei Roldugin, Sergei Chemezov, and the Rotenberg brothers are considered very close to the Russian President. Sergei Roldugin's name surfaced in the 2016 Panama Papers leak, after which his relationship with Putin was also exposed. Putin met Roldugin when he was training to become an officer in the KGB, Russia's intelligence agency. Roldugin's brother was Putin's classmate, and it was through him that they met.

How the First Meeting Occurred

Sergei Roldugin is a renowned Russian musician and is also said to be the godfather of Putin's elder daughter. In Vladimir Putin's autobiography published in 2000, he described Putin as his brother. Many of Putin's KGB colleagues joined him in government, but Roldugin did not. Until the Panama Papers leak, Roldugin was merely a musician, but the exposé revealed a new facet of his life to the world. It emerged that he had amassed a fortune of $100 million through three offshore companies. It was also stated that Sergei Roldugin had built such a vast empire with Putin's help. However, Russia dismissed the revelations as a conspiracy.

Putin's Childhood Friends: The Rotenbergs

Arkady and Boris Rotenberg are also close friends of Putin. A report in the Russian newspaper Kommersant states that the Rotenberg brothers are Putin's childhood friends. In an interview with Kommersant, Arkady said he first met Putin at a judo class when he was 12 years old. Pictures of the three playing ice hockey together have also surfaced. According to CNN, the Rotenberg brothers were among the Russian officials and businessmen sanctioned by the US after the Panama leak. The US Treasury believed that the Rotenberg brothers amassed immense wealth due to Putin's political influence. They received a $7 billion contract for the Sochi Winter Olympics solely due to Putin.

Family Lived in the Same Building

Sergei Chemezov is also considered a good friend of Putin. Both have known each other for many years and worked as KGB agents in East Germany. Putin and Chemezov's families lived in the same building. Sergei Chemezov has held high positions in several state-owned companies. These are the names among Vladimir Putin's closest friends. Therefore, even if Xi Jinping calls Putin his best friend, the meaning of "best friend" is different for Putin.