As a result, Mr. Putin’s protégé, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, resigned, along with the rest of the government. Background: Mr. Putin has been in power for 20 years, longer than any Russian leader since Stalin. The Constitution limits a president to two consecutive terms, meaning Mr. Putin, 67, would have to leave office in 2024. What’s next: The new prime minister will be Mikhail Mishustin, a virtually unknown technocrat. It’s unclear if the resignations signal a rift in Russia’s political elite or a coordinated plan to reshape the system.

Source: New York Times January 16, 2020 10:30 UTC