World Leader

Vladimir Putin

President, Russian Federation

OVERALL RANK

#14of 712

WORLD LEADER RANK

#12of 492

Total Quotes

Positive2%

Neutral85%

Negative13%

Sentiment Breakdown

Quote Timeline

Coverage by Category2,780 total

Geopolitics97%

Global Economy0.7%

Energy Transition0.1%

Social Impact0.1%

Other2%

Analysis

Vladimir Putin generated 2,780 quotes at Davos 2026 despite not attending, ranking 12th among world leaders. His coverage was overwhelmingly neutral (85%) as media reported on his responses to peace negotiations and proposals regarding frozen Russian assets. With only 2% positive sentiment, Putin had the lowest favorable coverage of any major figure analyzed.

Vladimir Putin's presence at Davos 2026 was paradoxically significant: he was extensively discussed without being present. His 2,780 quotes were driven entirely by other actors' diplomatic initiatives, particularly the Trump administration's peace overtures and discussions about deploying frozen Russian assets.

The coverage timeline mirrors the peace negotiation news cycle. Starting with minimal attention (13 quotes on January 17), coverage exploded to 1,752 quotes on January 22 as Western officials announced progress. This reactive pattern contrasts with attending leaders who could shape their own narratives.

Putin's sentiment profile is uniquely negative. At 2% positive, he trails every comparable figure. However, the more revealing statistic is the 85% neutral rating, the highest among major leaders. This reflects media's reliance on factual reporting about Russian positions rather than editorial framing, with journalists treating Putin's statements as diplomatic positions to document rather than achievements to celebrate or failures to criticize.

His quoted positions on Greenland ('What happens to Greenland is none of our business') and asset redeployment ('frozen Russian assets in the U.S. could be used to rebuild war-damaged areas') reveal a strategy of appearing reasonable while maintaining territorial claims. Coverage from RT (39 articles) provided the Russian perspective, but Western outlets dominated overall volume.

Key Findings

• Coverage peaked on January 22 with 1,752 quotes, coinciding with Ukraine peace negotiation developments
• 97.3% of coverage (2,706 quotes) fell under Geopolitics, the highest single-category concentration among peers
• His suggestion that frozen Russian assets could fund reconstruction of 'Moscow-occupied land' generated extensive coverage
• German outlets N-tv (66) and Schwabische Post (58) led coverage, with RT (39) providing Russian state perspective
• 2% positive vs 13.1% negative sentiment represented the worst ratio among all Davos-covered world leaders

Coverage by Source

N-tv66

Schwäbische Post58

SAPO50

RTP - Rádio Televisão Portuguesa49

DIE WELT48

Business Standard42

RT39

Invezz37

Frankfurter Allgemeine37

adevarul.ro37

Sample Quotes

“Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that the $1 billion fee could be sourced from Russia's frozen assets in the US.”

old.asiaplustj.info

“The Russian foreign ministry has been charged with studying the documents that were sent to us and to consult on the topic with our strategic partners,”

GEO TV

“"What happens to Greenland is none of our business," he said. "It certainly doesn't concern us. I think they'll sort it out among themselves."”

Mediaite

“Putin recently said that frozen Russian assets in the U.S. could be used to rebuild war-damaged areas.”

Tages Anzeiger

“they would discuss a settlement on Ukraine and the possibility of using frozen Russian assets for reconstruction of Moscow-occupied land, as well as Trump's proposal for a Board of Peace, tasked with promoting peace around the world.”