From the Russia POV, it was. I'm sure when he means Soviet Union, he doesn't mean the regime, but the union.
But for all the other peoples in the USSR POV, it was a lot more positive
I'm not sure about the central asia countires, nor Ukraine, Moldova and Adzerbajan to be sure. But anyways, Putin is not president of any of those countries, he's president of Russia, and most people in Russia are still bitter from the breaking of the Soviet union.
And iīm sure there are many people in UK, who are bitter over the loss of 13 colonies, but they still donīt call the biggest catastrophe in the 300 years.
I honesty find it quate offensive, when Putin call the peaceful collapse of the USSR the biggest catastrophe in 20th century, a century where millions have died in senseless conflics and because of failed ideological experiments, particular when USSR was one of these.
