1. Vladimir Putin

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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on October 7, 1952, is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has held the position of president in Russia since 2012, previously serving from 2000 to 2008. Additionally, he served as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012.

Putin spent 16 years as a KGB foreign intelligence officer, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel (podpolkovnik), before resigning in 1991 to embark on a political career in Saint Petersburg. He relocated to Moscow in 1996, joining President Boris Yeltsin’s administration. Putin briefly took on the roles of director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and secretary of the Security Council before becoming prime minister in August 1999. Following Yeltsin’s resignation, Putin assumed the role of acting president and, within four months, was elected outright to his first presidential term. He secured reelection in 2004. Due to constitutional limitations on consecutive presidential terms, Putin served as prime minister again from 2008 to 2012 under Dmitry Medvedev. He reclaimed the presidency in 2012 amidst allegations of fraud and protests, and was reelected in 2018.

In April 2021, after a referendum, Putin signed constitutional amendments into law, including one allowing him to potentially extend his presidency to 2036 by running for reelection twice more.

2. Joe Biden

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., born on November 20, 1942, is an American politician currently serving as the 46th President of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the position of the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 under Barack Obama and represented Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009.

Hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and later residing in New Castle County, Delaware, Biden pursued studies at the University of Delaware before obtaining his law degree from Syracuse University in 1968. His political journey began with his election to the New Castle County Council in 1970, making him the sixth-youngest senator in U.S. history when elected to the United States Senate from Delaware in 1972 at the age of 29. Biden played a pivotal role in foreign affairs during Obama’s presidency as the chair or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years. Additionally, he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 1995, overseeing issues related to drug policy, crime prevention, and civil liberties. Notable accomplishments include leading efforts to pass the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act, as well as overseeing six U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

Despite unsuccessful bids for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2008, Biden was reelected to the Senate six times, becoming the fourth-most senior sitting senator. In 2008, he assumed the role of vice president alongside Barack Obama after winning the presidential election.

During his eight years as vice president, Biden utilized his Senate experience to navigate negotiations with congressional Republicans, addressing critical issues such as the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. He played a significant role in infrastructure spending in 2009 to combat the Great Recession and, in terms of foreign policy, advised on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011.

In the 2020 presidential election, Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris defeated incumbent president Donald Trump and vice president Mike Pence. Biden, the oldest president and the first from Delaware, began his presidency by championing legislative initiatives, including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, aimed at accelerating the United States’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. Additionally, he issued a series of executive orders, addressing the pandemic and reversing several policies from the Trump administration, such as rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate change and reopening new applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, although the latter faced a federal judge’s block. Notably, Biden oversaw the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 2021, a move that attracted criticism for its perceived lack of planning as the Afghan government fell, and the Taliban assumed control.