With Bush in 2001, Putin sought to charm students at a rural Texas high school
Back in 2001, Vladimir Putin was seeking respect from world leaders while pledging a new openness in Russia. That's what brought him to tiny Crawford, Texas, at the invite of President George W. Bush.
Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine makes it hard to remember — or even imagine — that in the early years of his presidency, two decades ago, Vladimir Putin was on a charm offensive with the West. He sought respect from other world leaders, especially in Europe and the U.S., while offering hope of a new openness for Russians at home.
One notable moment in the Putin charm campaign came in November 2001 in rural Crawford, Texas, a tiny town in the center of the state with a population back then of 705 residents. Count President George W. Bush among them. He owned a ranch just outside of town — he'd named the property Prairie Chapel
