Putin and the Presidents

FRONTLINE investigates Russian President Vladimir Putin’s clashes with multiple American presidents as he’s tried to rebuild the Russian empire. Veteran filmmaker Michael Kirk (Putin’s Revenge, Putin’s Road to War) and his team trace the miscalculations and missteps of U.S. presidents over five administrations, culminating in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Full Cast of Putin and the Presidents

Will Lyman as Narrator

Will Lyman

Narrator

The person Will Lyman was born on May 20, 1948 and is currently 76 years old.

Vladimir Putin as Self (archive footage)

Vladimir Putin

Self (archive footage)
Bill Clinton as Self (archive footage)

Bill Clinton

Self (archive footage)

William Jefferson Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993...

George W. Bush as Self (archive footage)

George W. Bush

Self (archive footage)
Barack Obama as Self (archive footage)

Barack Obama

Self (archive footage)

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to...

Donald Trump as Self (archive footage)

Donald Trump

Self (archive footage)

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. He was the 45th President of the United...

Joe Biden as Self (archive footage)

Joe Biden

Self (archive footage)

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is currently serving as the 46th President of the United...

John Bolton as Self (interviewee)

John Bolton

Self (interviewee)
Timothy Snyder as Self (interviewee)

Timothy Snyder

Self (interviewee)
Julia Ioffe as Self (interviewee)

Julia Ioffe

Self (interviewee)
Antony Blinken as Self (interviewee)

Antony Blinken

Self (interviewee)

William B. Taylor Jr.

Self (interviewee)

Marie Yovanovitch

Self (interviewee)

Yevgenia Albats

Self (interviewee)

Susan Glasser

Self (interviewee)

Eugene Robinson

Self (interviewee)

Crew of Putin and the Presidents

Full backstage crew list →