Flashback: 9/11 a ‘turning point’ for Putin (CNN) CNNSeptember 11, 2017Within hours of the attacks on New York and Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin was on the phone to George W. Bush — the first international leader to call the U.S. president on September 11. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Read the full article.