A former KGB operative, Putin rose up on the ranks quickly, and as a member of the Politbüro, he eventually became the leader of the CPSU. During his first years as Premier (during the "Second Red Scare"), he continued his predecessors' antagonistic policies against the United States, however after the Alexander and Kerry administrations manage to ease up the tensions, he became more US-friendly, and was often open for diplomatic talks. In 2005, a few months after Kerry's inauguration, he was invited for a diplomatic visit to Washington D.C. and New York City. Later, Kerry visited Moscow, as the first visit of a US president in the USSR for 15 years.