“Putin’s relationship with his friends was... of reciprocity: ...supporting their raids on private businesses, providing ...no-bid state contracts ...allowing the courts to legalize their activities and criminalize those of ...opponents. In return ...they became the bulwark of his base ...helped finance and secure his electoral victories ... removed ...enemies... and... paid him {{w|tribute}}. All... began in St. Petersburg in the early 1990s, when he started to promote ...{{w|comrade}}s from ...Leningrad and {{w|Dresden}} {{w|KGB}} ...”