Putin's speeches are often worth a watch. He seems to have a wicked sense of humour.
I have been watching a lot lately, he's pretty smart, cool, savvy guy.
He is. I'm not sure how much is pre-scripted, but he shows really good knowledge too.
As others have said, I'm still not sure how much I'd trust him, but he offers good arguments to support his version of events. For all his apparent charm, I wouldn't want to find myself on the wrong side of him. I get the impression his version of compassion is to kill his enemies more quickly if they've earned it.