happy friday. tonight is a night when most of the world's attention is focused on what is happen income one city in germany where the g 20 is happening and where the president sat down for the first time since russia launched the attack on the u.s. presidential election last year. for the past nfew years, the united states and much of the world is trying to isolate for what it did when it made it part of russia and for what it did to the elections but today the russian time-out ended with a full buy lateral meeting between the serving u.s. president and president putin. tonight, i'm very happy to say excited to say we have the perfect person to take us inside the meeting and even better, more importantly, i think to help us understand what putin

has done to his own country and the rest of the world including to us. he's been spending a ton of time in russia as you're about to see. really excited for this report. richard engel reporting live from the g 20. good evening from germany. presidents trump and putin hit it off when they met. almost immediately rolled up their sleeves and started miking deals. a seize fire and envoy for ukraine and pledge of political non-intervention, a frame work for countering cyber threats and

agreed according to one u.s. official there that this whole business of russia's medaling in the u.s. election is getting in the way and that the two leaders should agree to disagree and move on. make no mistake, this is everything putin could have asked for and more. today's meeting changed the world. it doesn't matter if any of these agreements hold the syrian seize fire probably won't if past experience is anything to go by. it doesn't matter if the ukraine envoy accomplishes anything. this meeting here in germany matters because putin has always wanted to make russia a super power again a. country that cannot be ignored in the key decision shaping the world and today, president trump gave that to him. today matters because putin trained as a kgb agent to manipulate, corrupt and bully targets into doing bidding and many around the world saw putin doing that to an american president. people who know how putin

operates don't think for a second this meeting didn't go exactly as he planned it and wanted it to go long and wanted to bait president trump into trading horses. but there are costs of playing let's make a deal with vladimir putin. we spent months looking at what putin's russia is like today, a place where business deals can get you killed and where speaking out also can land you dead. we've met analysts and activists that say putin is playing trump but first, this are still protests underway in the city and fires burning tonight as demonstrators clash with police. we spent most of our day here in hamburg on the streets covering the protests and clashes that shut down the center of the city. they were big, tens of thousands of people from all across europe, united by a shared desire to scream their frustration at all that's wrong in the world from environmental degradation to war, greed and

poverty and to do it within shot of the world leaders they hold responsible. the other thing they had in common, what do you think about president trump? >> well, personally, we in germany just like we hate him. i personally, i think he's sexist, he's racist. he mocks people with disabilities. >> most of the protesters were peaceful but others self-styled usually dressed in black were looking for a fight and they got it. police are sweeping through this entire area. they have been spraying water canyons and pepper spray and pushing people out of the way. the police came in heavy. the protesters never managed to breakthrough the massive conference center with a trump putin meeti ing took place. we were allowed but corralled into a media center where we interviewed each other about the meeting that was happen income a

room in another building. >> what jumped out at me is that vladimir putin got the respect he so desperately desires. >> he has been covering world affairs for about 40 years. >> we're saying to the russians you can run your society as you like. we don't care. beat up on them, fine. crush democracy, fine with us. what we're interested in is what do you want and what do we want? let's draw up rules. >> and if the idea of trump and putin sitting down and drawing up the rules of the world sounds frightening, perhaps it is. >> so it sounds like putin got a lot of what he wanted out of this meeting. >> it feels like he got a lot of what he wanted out of this meeting. telling tillerson the two guys hit it off. they had a lot to talk about and they could have kept talking except they have a concert to get to. so i think they -- he said there were no more meetings scheduled

but i think it's the beginning of what putin hopes to be a beautiful relationship. >> donald trump is not the first president to try to build new relations with vladimir putin. here is what our last two presidents said after they met putin for the first time. >> i looked the man in the eye. i found him to be very straightforward, and trustworthy. we had a very good dialogue. i was able to get a sense of his soul. >> i found him to be very smart, and i found him to have a practical bent. >> but it's pretty clear from the body language at his last meeting with putin that obama didn't manage to build a working relationship with the man he called very smart. american presidents come and go but putin has out lasted them

all. he's perfected the art of controlling every detail to achieve his own goals. all you really see when you look putin in the eye is exactly what he wants you to see. so far, he's been winning every round in the long game he's playing against the u.s., but what is that game? foreign policy analysts like to say that trump is playing checkers while putin is playing chess. but that according to the world's most famous chess master is an insult to the game. >> putin is a dictator and dictat dictator's by definition don't play chess. i would rather say he's playing a poker game. >> he's a poker player? >> he's a poker player. he's a gambler and knows his cards are not good but also, he's a good mind reader. >> so is president trump playing with vladimir putin or being played by putin? >> he's definitely playing into putin's hands. whether trump pushes upon or drop a card, all are being

played into putin's hands. >> he is widely believed to be the greatest chess player whoever lived. he's also a vocal critic of putin's regime after years of protest, a failed run for president and multiple threats on his life, he left russia and went into exile. we met him in paris where he told us that any meeting between president's trump and putin is inv inevitably a victory for putin. >> if trump believes in a handshake, it could be a way to fool our -- his counter part and trump is an ideal counter part. >> do you think putin tried to get trump elected to get trump -- >> absolutely. we have evidence he wanted trump to win. >> and why would he want trump to win? >> maybe many reasons is the simple one is trump psychologically with his massive ego, rejection of the rules would be ideal counter part.

putin believes he's calling the shots all over the place, and it's -- we know from history the power corrupts and absolute power corrupts. >> you think he's now absolutely corrupted? >> absolutely corrupt. it's a greatest danger there is being faced by the free world because the man has intentions. >> you think putin is the greatest danger in the free world? you don't think that's an exaggeration? >> immediate threat that the free world is facing like isis or terrorist groups, it incompatible to what putin can do. >> do you think it a threat to the quite? >> his hand is is weak and he knows it. russia today is a pail shadow of the soviet union. militarily and economically. putin has a lot of money. playing this game by undermining democracy and institution and by creating chaos. >> and putin seems to have a unique skill when it comes to

creating chaos all over the world. he used misdirection. and descent russian jets, troops and guns to syria to stop what he feared would be a u.s. backed regime change. >> let remember what is happening. in 2011, president obama said assad must go. and now, everybody could say that putin won this battle. we can stop counting many reasons why it's happened by psychologically, putin has a big advantage because americans wanted him out. bad guy who cares. at the end of the day, he works for me and as long as you are with me, you, you will protect. >> the more he can show he's playing in other people's backyards and getting away with it. >> exactly. >> people say -- >> it's the -- >> we're back. >> look at crimea. how dare you to, you know, to accuse me. i'm a man of peace. no russian troops in crimea. a few months later, the brave

people that fought, how could we -- >> look how clever we were. >> one year later, it's the already full recognition bragging about it and pinning medals to russian troops part of the invasion and then so what? >> there is no ample evidence that russia through state actors tried to interfere in the american political process. how would that help him stay in pow sner. >> challenging the free world, the united states, define u.s. president and neighboring country he can go to syria and kick americans from here and there and challenge europe. he violates all the rules. and he's still in the game. >> we'll hear more from gary later in the show. a lot has changed in russia since soviet days but much has stayed the same. the might of the state ones at the service of a political party serve as one man and a circle of very powerful and wealthy people around him.

>> the russian mafia is the government of russia. it's a mafia that's running a sovereign state with nuclear weapons. >> we've spent months investigating a single case and multiple murders in russia and around the world. the story, that story is ahead. we're live in hamburg. ♪ if you could book a flight, then add a hotel, or car, or activity in one place and save, where would you go? ♪ expedia gives you the world in your hand, so you can see more of it. ♪

expedia. ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round... ...brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to... ...gently remove more plaque and... ...oral-b crossaction is clinically proven to... ...remove more plaque than sonicare diamondclean. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b! the #1 brand used by dentists worldwide. oral-b. brush like a pro.

over the course of 9 days sthe walks 26.2 miles.. that's a marathon. because he chooses to walk whenever he can. and he does it with support from dr. scholl's. only dr. scholl's has massaging gel insoles that provide all-day comfort to keep him feeling more energized. so he even has the energy to take the long way home. keep it up, steve! dr. scholl's. born to move.

welcome back to hamburg. to understand russia today and the rise of vladimir putin. ♪ ♪ >> you need to go back to the early 1990s when a tuturbulent, violent transition was underway. in 1989, the berlin wall was torn down and the soviet union began to fall apart. to try to hold the empire together, soviet leader announced sweeping reforms. [speaking foreign language]. >> but it was too little too late and one soviet republic after another began to break away from moscow and declare independence. the old communist guard was watching it all in horror. in a kgb bathhouse, six senior

soviet officials hatched a plan to topple him and restore the gory of the soviet empire. >> the leaders of the coup hold on against a popular uprising. we still don't know the whereabouts or condition of him tonight. >> he refused to step down. boris, the leader of the russian federation showed surprising metal climbing on a tank to deliver a fiery speech. the hard liners failed. miguel wasn't toppled but by christmas 1991, he resigned and just like that, the soviet union was no more. the russian federation took its place. with boris as its president. but he quickly discovered that leading a new capital democracy was much harder than standing down a coup. russia's economy tanked, co

corruption was ramped. he came to depend on a former kgb agent quietly rising through the ranks, a man by the name of vladimir putin. by the summer of 1999, boris fired the prim minister and announced putin in his place. almost immediately, bombs tore through apartment buildings in russia killing hundreds. putin blamed terrorist from the break away republic. but evidence began to emerge suggesting that the chechens may not have been behind the apartment bombings. many believe the whole thing was orchestrated by putin to consolidate power and boost popularity. by 1999 he was a shadow of his former self-. his administration consumed by corruption. corruption that could send him from the kremlin to a state

prison. he needed a man he could trust to return to the prime minister, struck a deal. [speaking foreign language]. >> on new years eve just in time, he took to the air waves to resign. naming vladimir putin in his place. on his very first day in office, president putin signed a degree granting boris immunity to save his own skin, he struck a bargain that sealed the fate of the nation. optimism that followed the collapse of the soviet union, the hope of a democratic and open russia was replaced with putin's russia. he quickly sure rounded himself with loyalests and cracked down on descent. the stage was set for russia to become a criminal state. next up from hamburg, what happens when the power of the state is placed in the hands of criminals. stay with us. ike the people who own them,

every business is different. but every one of those businesses will need legal help as they age and grow. whether it be with customer contracts, agreements to lease a space or protecting your work. legalzoom's network of attorneys can help you, every step of the way. so you can focus on what you do and we'll handle the legal stuff that comes up along the way. legalzoom. legal help is here. i wneverever wash my hair again now, i fuel it new pantene doesn't just wash your hair, it fuels it. with the first pro-v nutrient blend, making every strand stronger because strong is beautiful.

pain is sometimes in my hands, be a distraction. right before a performance especially. only aleve has the strength to stop minor arthritis pain for up to 12 hours with just one pill. this is my pain. but i am stronger. aleve. all day strong. and i'm an arborist with i'pg&e in the sierras. the drought in california has killed trees on a massive scale. any of those trees that fail into power lines could cause a wildfire or a power outage. public safety is the main goal of our program. that's why we're out removing these hundreds of thousands of hazard trees. having tools and technology gives us a huge edge to identify hazard trees. my hope is that the work we're performing allows that these forests can be sustained and enjoyed by the community in the future. together, we're building a better california.

>> welcome back to hamburg. it means that the power of the state is at the service of one man and means a select group of officials and businessmen is inner circle had bekcome rich because putin is the law and members can operate with impunity and means sometimes

corruption can lead to homicide. it comes down to three words. >> greed, money and murder. these people are so obsessed with money they are ready to kill anyone that gets in the way. >> the hedge fund manager first went to russia more than two decades ago in the free for all days after the fall of the soviet union. >> here in moscow. the fight for now is an economic fie fight as this country struggles to rebuild. >> the nation's entire economy was being privatized on the cheap. >> this stuffbeing given away for free and all you had to do was show up. >> when vladimir putin took off, he promised to stop the gold rush. >> he came in at a time of total chaos. the oligarchies had taken over

russia. 22 guys owning everything in the country and 150 million people eating dirt. putin said we're going to get rid of these 22 guys and we're going to clean up russia. >> and you believed it? >> i clapped along with everybody else. we thought oh, this is going to be so much better. >> he cheered and made a fortune as one oligarchy after another was jailed, or muscled out until of course they came for him. >> i arrived at the main moscow airport and four heavily armed officials said follow me, sir, in russia. i had officially been deported because i was considered a threat to national security. >> putin was tightening his grip on power, getting rid of the people he considered dangerous to his regime and making the rest an implicit offer they could not refuse. work with me and keep your money.

that left browder out in the cold. >> 25 police officers from the moscow police department raid my office in moscow. and they're specifically looking for the stamps, seals and certificates. >> a lawyer for browder was tasked with finding out why. he quickly figured it out. someone was using those stamps, seals and certificates to defraud the russian treasury out of $230 million in tax refunds. and it worked? >> it worked remarkably. it was the largest tax refund in the history of russia and approved the next day and paid out one day later. >> he sent the evidence he was gathering back to london where browder was building a case against the judges, tax officials and police officers who he says were in on the heist. they retaliated by going after magnitsky charging him with fraud and locking him up in one of moscow's most notorious prisons.

>> they wanted to break him down, wanted him to withdraw his testimony against the police officers and wanted him to sign a false confession that he stole the $230 million and he did so on my instruction. and sergey refused to buckle. >> he detailed torturous conditions. the cells smaller, the treatment harsher, his health fading. but according to browder, that wasn't enough. >> they chained him to an bed and eight riot guards with rubber batons beat him to death. >> if he was dying any way, what i would they do such an act, why chain him to the bed and beat him with batons. >> because that's what they do in russia. >> browder's crew said now had a martyr. he went to washington and asked congress to pass the magnitsky act which became law in 2012.

>> the bill is passed. majority leader. >> it placed personal sanctions on the people said to be accused of the crime. putin took that very personally. >> translator: do you think that no one ever dies in american jails or what? of course they do. and so what. do i have to make a story out of each and every one of these cases. >> yes, we should according to this activist. >> strikes at the heart of the system of corruption and hypocrisy that we have in power in in our country for the past seven years. >> a russia also testified in support of the act. that put him in the kremlin's cross hairs. >> people who are opposed to the current government like my colleagues like me, are denounced as traitors. but of course slander and even imprisonment are no longer the biggest dangers that face those who dare to oppose vladimir

putin. >> despite the dangers, information about the case kept trickling out of moscow. browder and his lawyer had a cloak and dagger meeting in a london par with a man who said he could tell them exactly where some of the stolen money was stashed. >> it was so specific as to say these tax inspectors have a villa on the palm island. it was unbelievable. >> in dubai? >> in dubai. >> not just dubai. he was able to account for another big chunk of the loot which ended up in switzerland and because he was an insider he had the bank statements to prove it. >> did you think he was putting himself at risk talking with you? >> frankly we're at risk, anybody who engaging in helping this opening is at risk. >> he rented a house in an

exclusive well-guarded gated community outside of london. he went jogging one day and dropped dead. the reported cause of death was a heart attack. but now five years later a classified u.s. intelligence report leaked to the website was feed purports to show that american spies had high confidence that he was ordered on orders from the kremlin. forensic tests found what could be tiny traces of an exotic and toxic plant in his stomach. the poison is easily hidden in food and causes death by asphyxiation. >> it was 5 o'clock in the morning and i woke up because my heart was racing. and then i started sweating really badly and feeling suddenly really weak and then i started having trouble breathing. >> when he met in washington

earlier this year, he was still frail. doctors say he was lucky to survive poisoning. what's remarkable is this is the second time doctors managed to bring him back from death's door. >> of course i knew straightaway what it was because this was the second time in two years this happened. and it began almost identically in the same way. and within six hours all of my major organs shut down one after another. >> who do you think was responsible? >> i can only presume this was done by people with at least with connections to the russian special services. >> the second poisoning happened while kei morts so was touring russia, screening a documentary on his friend, boris nemtsov. >> the most popular opposition leader since putin came to power was also the most prominent supporter of the act. >> the magnitsky act directed against groups and abusers. >> and another victim. on the night of february 27th, 2015, nemtsov was walking home from dinner with his girlfriend,

the most popular critic of the putin regime, the man who was calling for sanctions on some of the most pufl people in this country was walking across this bridge completely unguarded. this is after all the center of moscow. there are always plenty of people around. and there are cameras on every corner. but according to russia officials, that night around 11:30 when nemtsov was shot in the back at least five times right in front of his girlfriend, none of the cameras captured the moment. nemtsov bled to death right here in the shadow of the kremlin. there was one camera that was recording that night but it didn't capture the assassination. a city truck happened to block

the view. five muslim separatists were convicted of the murder last week but human rights groups suggest that they are just patsys. either way, another powerful russian voice against putin and for the magnitsky act was silenced. >> this is the most pro-russian law ever passed in any foreign parliament. and if you were to ske many what is the most likely reason for somebody trying to kill me twice in two years, i think it's that. >> because you supported u.s. sanctions against russia, the -- >> please don't say that. these are not sanctions against russia. they're sanctions against crooks. i am russian, my colleagues are russian. boris nemtsov was a russian. >> even if standing up is the definition of russian patriotism, then there still are patriots left in russia. this law representing magnitsky's family. he happened to find in a moscow court a cashe of documents which appeared to show that stolen money ended up in dubai and switzerland but also in new york city where it was used to buy high-end property. he could have looked the other way but he didn't. >> translator: i photographed

all of the documents and then traveled to london where the american prosecutors copied them. >> that was enough for a federal prosecutor to seize the new york properties and launch a case against the russian owners. his testimony and the documents he provided were kept under seal for his own protection. and yet soon enough he had a strange accident. >> and you fell down there? >> translator: yes, i woke up in the hospital and the doctor said it was a miracle i was alive. i fell four stories. >> do you think this was just an

accident? >> translator: this could not have been an accident. someone planned this. but unfortunately i do not remember the details. >> he is lucky to be alive. is this what happens to lawyers in this country if they push too far? >> translator: many things happen. when the state starts covering up for fraudsters, anything is possible. >> do you think this is a campaign organized by the kremlin? >> there's no doubt about it. of course. i mean if -- there seems to be an extremely high mortality rate for some reason among independent journalists and political opponents of mr. putin in the last 17 years. ♪ >> everybody when they hear of the russian mafia they think of guys with gold teeth and leather jackets. but now russia is the mafia and putin is the boss.

♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,... isn't it time to let the real you shine through? maybe it's time for otezla (apremilast). otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months,... with reduced redness,... thickness, and scaliness of plaques. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement

for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you're allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts... or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight... and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea,... nausea, upper respiratory tract infection... and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your dermatologist about otezla today. otezla. show more of you. bounty is more absorbent,mom" per roll so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty, the quicker picker upper you're searching for something. like the perfect deal... ...on the perfect hotel. so wouldn't it be perfect if there was a single site where

you could find the right hotel for you at the best price? there is. because tripadvisor now compares prices from over 200 booking sites... ...to save you up to 30%... ...on the hotel you want. trust this bird's words. tripadvisor. the latest reviews. the lowest prices. i'm proud to make dog chow in (vodavenport, iowa.an. dog chow's been a part of my family's life for over 40 years. my grandfather made it and now i'm making it. as a micro-biologist i ensure that dog chow leads with high quality ingredients.

the meeting today here in hamburg between president trump and vladimir putin will naturally raise questions about how each side handled it and what it means for future relations. one thing that did not come up, at least as far as we're told, is human rights. i wanted to take a minute to go back to something we just heard from vladimir kara-murza, the human rights activist poisoned twice. he says and i quote there seems to be an extremely high mortality rate. but in almost each case there is no conclusive evidence that these people were killed by the russian government.

sometimes it isn't clear if they were murdered or died of natural causes. the only thing we know is that putin's enemies have a way of turning up dead and that evidence has a way of being meticulously covered up. so we thought we'd take a moment to remind ourselves of that body count. like anna, the investigative journalist who wouldn't stop, despite death threats, despite being poisoned, shot to death as she was getting on the elevator of her building, or the russia spy who deflected. poisoned by radioactive material slipped into his tea at a meeting in london. and of course boris nemtsov, the fiery leader of the opposition in russia shot five times in the back right in front of the kremlin. but these are just the famous ones.

according to research by a british journalist, in last three years more than 40 people, critics, untrustworthy insider and those who knew too much about what happened inside the kremlin have been murdered or died in mysterious circumstances. the member of parliament who slipped in the batting, the scottish property developer suspected of laundering the money of russians, fell from the fourth building of his home. two of them were senior members of the russian anti-doping agency which was allegedly involved in a state sponsored doping program for russian athletes and two, a general from the service and a businessman who died in a new york hospital may have been sources for leaks about the alleged ties between the kremlin and the trump campaign. most of the murders are unsolved. many of the deaths are attributed to natural causes. but when you put the whole list together, it's hard to ignore the pattern. and that's what makes alexei navalny the most prominent surviving leader of the opposition so impressive. he's seen what happens to putin's critics and yet he won't stop fighting. he was released from prison

today after 25 days. that's welcome news to his followers. that's next. geico can help with way more than car insurance. boats, homes, motorcycles... even umbrella coverage. this guy's gonna wish he brought his umbrella. fire at will! how'd you know the guy's name is will? yeah? it's an expression, ya know? fire at will? you never heard of that? oh, there goes will! bye, will! that's not his name! take a closer look at geico. great savings. and a whole lot more. i wneverever wash my hair again now, i fuel it new pantene doesn't just wash your hair, it fuels it. with the first pro-v nutrient blend,

making every strand stronger because strong is beautiful. ♪ i love you, basement guest bathroom. your privacy makes you my number 1 place... ...to go number 2. i love you, but sometimes you stink. ♪ new febreze air effects with odorclear technology cleans... ...away odors like never before. because the things you love the most can stink. and try febreze small spaces to clean away odors for up... ...to 30 days. breathe happy with new febreze. (woman vo)o) my husband didn't recognize how tour grandson.eeth. (woman 2 vo) that's when moderate alzheimer's made me a caregiver.

(avo) if their alzheimer's is getting worse, ask about once-a-day namzaric. namzaric is approved for moderate to severe alzheimer's disease in patients taking donepezil. namzaric may improve cognition and overall function, and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. namzaric does not change the underlying disease progression. don't take if allergic to memantine, donepezil, piperidine, or any of the ingredients in namzaric. tell the doctor about any conditions; including heart, lung, bladder, kidney or liver problems, seizures, stomach ulcers, or procedures with anesthesia. serious side effects may occur, including muscle problems if given anesthesia; slow heartbeat, fainting, more stomach acid which may lead to ulcers and bleeding; nausea, vomiting, difficulty urinating, seizures, and worsening of lung problems. most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, dizziness, loss of appetite, and bruising. (woman 2 vo) i'm caring for someone with moderate alzheimer's. if you are too, ask about namzaric today.

welcome back to hamburg.

as we said, the most prompt leader of the russian opposition alexei navalny was released from prison told. authorities didn't want that moment caught on camera. they snuck him by the reporters and released him somewhere else. so he went on youtube to tell his supporters that together we have broken the wall of censorship and lies that mr. putin has been building for the last 18 years and managed to bring our ideas to millions. he defiantly promised to hold new rallies even though they will try to ban them. there are rallies going on in hamburg tonight. dozens have been arrested. but most if not all of them were fighting with police in this country. in russia it's a different story. navalny was sent to prison for the crime of calling for an unauthorized demonstration. the unsanctioned rally in moscow last month lasted only a few minutes. we were there. this is what happens when you try to demonstrate against vladimir putin in today's russia, these demonstrators come out, they've been denouncing

putin, calling him a criminal. now the riot police are pushing them back. they're making it very clear that they are not going to put up with this demonstration for long. they didn't. the demonstration was crushed soon after it began. and navalny wasn't even there. he was arrested right outside his apartment building. and yet all across russia's 1 is time zones, people answered his call and took to the streets. 1700 of them were detained by police. anti-putin, anti-corruption demonstrations like these are usually broken up with force. what's remarkable about these demonstrations is that they took place at all. the world's most famous chess master believes that shows that things in russia are finally starting to change. >> it's a brand-new trend in russia when you have young people, almost teenagers with, those who are not poisoned by putin's propaganda machine. they're not brainwashed by tv because they don't watch tv.

they follow navalny. >> navalny wants to run for president next year but the government charged him with financial crimes which he says were trumped up to stop him from running against putin. he's been arrested, been beaten, had green liquid thrown at his face which nearly blinded him but he and his supporters fight on. the putin has a backing of a vast majority of russians. they see him as a strong man, the only man who can revive russia's power in a world full of enemies. that's why putin loves making enemies. >> putin cannot afford peace. he needs con flick as the only atmosphere where he can survive. >> it's the neverending conflict with the whole world that gives putin cover for a never ending crackdown on anyone who speaks out against him. and no one speaks out as loudly as this group. this stunt made these young profane women in ski masks world famous and landed two of them in prison. >> this man says that you can't criticize your government. >> they're out now and whatever lesson the system was trying to teach them, they didn't learn it. we asked one member, who

everyone calls masha, about the group's provocative name. >> it's just funny. >> so it's a joke on politicians that every time they talk about you they have to say pussy riot. >> yeah. >> you're getting a little dig at them? >> kind of. but now i think we have enough politicians who are okay with pronounces pussy. >> she's talking of course about president trump.

it was their kind of protest, but she thinks it should go further. >> very simple. i think riot and do not be afraid. >> don't be afraid? >> i think it's already happening. it's important just not to stop. >> just in case anyone missed the message, pussy riot has a new video out, and this one is not about putin. ♪ >> no more abortions. ♪ >> one of the most surprising things we learned while putting this show together is the root russia is getting some love in places that will probably surprise you too. here's nbc's kelly cobiella. >> in red-state america tonight,

almost half of republican voters, 49%, consider russia an ally. russian dolls, russian books. russia everywhere here. have you met him? >> i've not, no. >> would you like to in. >> absolutely. he's fantastic. >> what does russia think of us? >> russia considers us to be the main enemy. >> the full and bizarre story after the break. stay with us. where are we?

about to see progressive's new home quote explorer. where you can compare multiple quote options online and choose what's right for you. woah. flo and jamie here to see hqx. flo and jamie request entry. slovakia. triceratops. tapioca. racquetball. staccato. me llamo jamie. pumpernickel. pudding. employee: hey, guys! home quote explorer. it's home insurance made easy. password was "hey guys." it's home insurance made easy. finding the best hotel price is now a safe bet. because tripadvisor searches over 200 booking sites - so you save up to 30% on the hotel you want. lock it in. tripadvisor. trust #1 doctor recommended dulcolax. use dulcolax tablets for gentle dependable relief. suppositories for relief in minutes. and dulcoease for comfortable relief of hard stools. dulcolax. designed for dependable relief.

i'start at the new carfax.comar. show me minivans with no reported accidents. boom. love it. [struggles] show me the carfax. start your used car search at the all-new carfax.com. i'm gonna get ya', get ya', get ya', get ya'♪ ♪one day maybe next week, ♪i'm gonna meet ya' ♪i'm gonna meet ya', i'll meet ya'♪ that's the heightah of mount everest.teps. because each day she chooses to take the stairs. at work, at home... even on the escalator. that can be hard on her lower body, so now she does it with dr. scholl's orthotics clinically proven to relieve and prevent foot, knee or lower back pain, by reducing the shock and stress that travel up her body with every step she takes. so keep on climbing, sarah. you're killing it. dr. scholl's. born to move.

we are live in hamburg at the g20 summit where president trump met today with russian president vladimir putin. one of the people thinks often ask me when i'm back in the states is what's the big deal about russia? why does it matter if people around the president have business or personal ties with moscow? well, consider this. many russian officials and prominent businessmen have close relationships with the intelligence services, a business meeting can be a recruiting opportunity, and a pleasant russian official who shares your values may turn out to be a wanted man. as kelly cobiella found out when she went to the last place on earth where we expected to find a story about russian influence. ♪ >> reporter: for decades, russia was seen as the enemy of freedom. in reagan's america, they called it -- >> an evil empire.

♪ >> reporter: in trump's america, land of god, guns, and country, christian conservatives are falling in love with russia and vladimir putin. have you met him? >> i have not, no. >> would you like to in. >> absolutely. he's fantastic. >> reporter: g. klein preston the iv, a successful family man, christian, and conservative. >> russian books, russian everywhere here. >> preston, born and raised in the south, believes russia

shares his values on same-sex marriage, gun rights and terrorism. >> we're very similar people. in fact, you could take many russians and you can put them in a room with people that are from nashville, tennessee, and everybody would kind of look the same. >> he does business in russia and has built some very close ties with power players like the deputy head of russia's central bank, a former senator and putin ally. you consider him a friend? >> absolutely. senator torshin is a gun enthusiast and a big proponent of the right to bear arms. >> reporter: that's why for the first time this year, when american gun lovers went to russia to compete in a shooting match, torshin was right there, sharing a table with team russia at the medal ceremony. he's a regular at nra meetings, tweeting pictures with the former nra president. they were introduced by klein preston. other christian conservatives are having the same change of heart, inviting a delegation from the russian orthodox church to the first ever christian persecution summit this spring, organized by another putin fan, evangelist franklin graham. the two met in 2015.

>> i think he's, again, an honest person, a direct person. and so he's going to do what's right for russia. >> reporter: former cia officer daniel hoffman spent five years in moscow and much of his intelligence career studying how russians operate. >> they devote a tremendous amount of resources to understanding us, what makes our political system work, where the interest groups are located. and then in certain situations, seeking to influence us as well. >> they're looking for information and joint interest so that we're not adverse to each other. >> do you ever suspect at all that there's more to torshin than just a great friend and a public servant? >> do i suspect that? well, you know, i don't live

with him. so i couldn't tell you, you know, everything about senator torshin. >> reporter: in fact, preston knows torshin was a wanted man in spain. spanish judicial sources say they were investigating allegations that in 2013, torshin was directing a money laundering operation for the russian mob. spanish police tell us they were ready to arrest torshin the second he stepped off a plane. they say they had teams here at the airport, and the prosecutors were on standby around the clock for days. torshin never showed. >> we hope that he come here, but at the end no come here. >> can't do anything? >> reporter: torshin did not respond to our request to comment on the allegations. klein preston believes he's innocent. >> he's a brilliant man, but he's not a mobster. i've never heard a bad word about him. >> the russians are experts at finding common ground. >> if there's a guy who we know has a top-level job in russia and he's hanging out with the nra in the united states -- >> sure. >> -- is it possible that it's just because he likes guns?

>> it is. it's also possible that he may be collecting information about a person, understanding what makes a person tick, and then feeding that information back to russian contingency. >> reporter: both conservatives and russians we spoke to said there's nothing sinister about their newfound friendship. in red state america today, a poll taken in may found almost half of republican voters, 49%, consider russia friendly or an ally. is russia actually our ally? russia considers us to be the main enemy. >> the g20 summit has another day to go, another day of demonstrations on the streets and high-level meetings in well-guarded rooms. but everyone here knows that the

main event is now over. so that does it for us from hamburg tonight. rachel will be back on monday, and i will see you again next friday live from iraq where we will take you to the front lines for the final push to drive isis out of the city of mosul. now it's time for "the last >> good evening, richard. thank you for all that reporting. but you go, i do want to ask you given everything, do you think putin got what he wanted out of president trump today? >> i think he absolutely got what he wanted. i think he came in with this intention to have a long meeting. i think he wanted to overwhelm the president, presenting him lots of options, lots of things they could discuss, put some meat on the table for them to start digging right into it and hoping this will lead to more discussions, more follow-on, and a tighter relationship. >> interesting. richard engel, thank you very much. >> absolutely. i am ari melber