Transcript for Nov. 7, 2001: Putin remarks on his public image

When you became president. There was some apprehension because you had been with the KGB. People spot that you were very authoritarian. They describe you and somewhat. Scary Turner's. How would you describe yourself. Well I was not described by the people bust by mass media. And based on that information people made their own conclusions because in the public loves to see some hot stuff console they created this image. I'm very pleased that as a result of my work the perception of me has been changing. Andy we have a saying you should judge about someone not by what he says about himself but by what he does. There was a series of interviews that she gave. Playbook very fact book. And you described yourself ads. Call I'm yes intense. You know white college or intense. Well she should be the judge of that I think it is no point arguing with a woman. You had a very difficult childhood. Thank code doing you when you were in a very small apartment with your family. Iraq's. He had just beat the backside that's what affected this kind of a childhood have. And this man today. You do McKinney added that that was live at the most importantly what matters more. He's not the material conditions on my living but the fact that I was loved my parents loved me a lot and I felt that at all times. And this feeling of love perhaps was due most important point that formed my character. You know even before you graduated from school. You wanted to American intelligence. Now most kids don't aspire to grow up to be a spot. You did. Why. It's definitive Corsica with. There's no secret about that you you have to be honest about that I was influenced by literature movies I didn't want to be a spy. I wanted to be useful to my country and the profession of an intelligence officer does involve certain relationships there's an element of you know romanticism and so. All this together led me to such a decision is I try not to regret anything and I don't regret that decision that line of many years ago. I have nothing to be ashamed of in my past I was a successful intelligence officer and always worked for the good of my country. Good ask you eternal question. Did you ever ordered anyone killed. No in fact might work was more intellectual political information gathering analysis and so forth so. Thank god nothing like that happened to me.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.