Putin's People by Catherine Belton Summary

Putin's People investigates how Vladimir Putin and a network of former KGB operatives orchestrated a strategic takeover of Russia’s political, economic, and legal systems after the Soviet Union’s collapse. Catherine Belton traces their efforts to consolidate power, undermine Western democracies, and restore Russia’s global influence through covert financial networks and political manipulation.

This book is essential for readers interested in modern Russian history, geopolitical strategy, or the mechanics of authoritarian regimes. Journalists, policymakers, and scholars will value its exhaustive research, while general audiences gain insight into Putin’s rise and the KGB’s enduring shadow over global politics.

Yes—the book is a Sunday Times bestseller and acclaimed for its groundbreaking revelations. Belton’s access to Kremlin insiders and meticulous documentation of financial schemes make it a critical resource for understanding 21st-century Russian power dynamics.

Belton identifies a clandestine KGB network that survived the USSR’s fall, leveraging Putin’s St. Petersburg connections and state-corporate alliances to seize control. She details their strategy to infiltrate institutions, manipulate oligarchs, and weaponize corruption to rebuild Russia as a revanchist power.

The book highlights Putin’s KGB background, his role in 1990s St. Petersburg politics, and alliances with oligarchs like Boris Berezovsky. Belton exposes how these ties enabled systemic corruption, election interference, and the silencing of dissent to cement authoritarian rule.

Belton argues Putin’s regime deliberately destabilizes Western democracies through cyberattacks, financial compromises, and disinformation. The KGB elite views the West as an adversary to be weakened, not a partner—a strategy rooted in Cold War-era tactics.

Some experts debate Belton’s portrayal of Putin as a KGB puppet rather than an autonomous leader. Others note speculative claims, like Trump’s financial ties to Russia, lack direct evidence. However, most praise the book’s depth and investigative rigor.

As a former Financial Times Moscow correspondent, Belton combines decade-long reporting with leaked documents and insider testimonies. This approach provides unprecedented access to clandestine deals and Kremlin decision-making.

“‘You in the West think you’re playing chess with us. But you’ll never win because we don’t follow rules’” (KGB operative). Another quote warns, “Revolutionary cycles…morph into military dictatorship,” reflecting Putin’s distrust of democratic movements.

Unlike broader histories, Belton focuses on the KGB’s institutional resurgence and its global financial networks. The book’s reliance on insider accounts distinguishes it from academic analyses, offering a narrative-driven exposé.

Oligarchs initially thrived under Yeltsin but were co-opted or crushed by Putin’s regime. Belton shows how figures like Mikhail Khodorkovsky were imprisoned, while loyalists like Igor Sechin gained control of state enterprises like Rosneft.

Belton details schemes to fund political campaigns, exploit legal loopholes, and cultivate influential allies—tactics designed to erode trust in Western institutions. These operations aim to reposition Russia as a dominant global power.