A new Channel 4 documentary will examine how Vladimir Putin has used his spy skills as the leader of a nuclear power.
The Russian president worked for the KGB and headed its successor in counter-intelligence and espionage, the FSB.
Putin: A Russian Spy Story will explore how the autocrat's knowledge of spycraft has shaped and maintained his rule.
It comes as Donald Trump resumed an effort to have Mr Putin's Russia re-admitted in to the G8 club of industrialised nations despite the ongoing occupation of part of neighbouring Ukraine.
Using the president's own words, and those of people who know him, the programme will chart the career of the global figure.
Producer James Rogan said: "To understand what is happening in the world right now, it is necessary to understand Vladimir Putin.
"Putin has shown his staying power as one of the most formidable politicians of the 21st century.
"This series will explore how as a former spy he has redefined politics and the impact this has had globally."
Fatima Salaria, of Channel 4, added: "This new exciting commission promises to deliver new revelation and insight into a figure who we are all intrigued by."
READ MORE: Last man standing: President Putin and the world's leaders-for-life
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has said it would be appropriate for Russia to be readmitted to a group of the world's major industrial nations.
President Trump says Russia is often discussed when he and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan meet annually as a group.
President Trump is scheduled to fly to France on Saturday for this year's meeting of the Group of Seven.
In March 2014, at the urging of then-president Barack Obama, the leaders expelled Russia from what was the Group of Eight after President Vladimir Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula.
President Trump claims Mr Obama pushed for Russia's expulsion because President Putin had "outsmarted" him.
The US president made similar comments about reinstating Russia to the G-7 before he attended the 2018 summit. Nothing came of it.
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