If you're right, Putin is not all that bad. He's just trying to do what is best. Boy, he sure doesn't invite trust though...
What's best for himself and what he thinks is best for Russia. He is not a Communist [anymore], but he is an opportunist and is still defined by the culture of KGB and projection of power. His chosen successor, Sergei Ivanov, is very much like him : http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1876426/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1880215/posts
As far as trust, no... and he himself made that choice. To quote Ronald Reagan again, "Trust but verify" is very applicable here. We do work much closer on some intelligence matters than many people suspect... but then, we did so with France during Chirac, as well.