Faces to follow as Putin begins fourth term

POLITICS

Vladimir Putin, who on Monday will be inaugurated for the fourth time as Russian president, has kept the possible reshuffle of his inner circle a closely-guarded secret.

From prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, long rumoured to be in the firing line, to veteran foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, here are the members of Putin's inner circle to follow as the Russian leader begins his new term.

Medvedev the loyal PM

Chosen by Putin to lead Russia in 2008 when he was largely unknown, Dmitry Medvedev never succeeded in stepping out of the shadow of his "colleague and old friend", as he called his superior.

After four years in office, he let Putin return to the Kremlin in a role swap that made him prime minister -- a scenario prepared in advance.

Medvedev has played a relatively marginal role in the post in recent years.

In 2017, opposition politician and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny exposed Medvedev's wealth, unexpectedly leading to large scale opposition protests against the man who was once wanted to put Russia on a liberal track.

Medvedev is regularly reported to be on his way out by the Russian press.

He was absent during Putin's low-key presidential campaign but has never been publicly disowned by his mentor, to whom he remains resolutely loyal.

Shoigu, the defence minister

Sergei Shoigu has been behind the modernisation of the Russian army -- most recently associated with the "success" of the Russian military campaign in Syria.

Defence minister since 2012, Shoigu is one of the rare members of Putin's inner circle not to belong to the "clan" that surrounded him when he was working in the Saint Petersburg city administration.

The 62-year-old hails from Siberia's Tuva region and proved himself a successful manager while heading the emergencies ministry for almost 20 years, which he radically reformed.

Shoigu regularly appears next to Putin during state ceremonies, fishing trips or while tracking tigers in the Russian Far East.

Lavrov, Moscow's voice abroad
 
Internationally respected since his appointment as foreign minister in 2004, Sergei Lavrov has appeared tired in recent years, a particularly turbulent time for Russia's ties with the West.

An inflexible negotiator, the 68-year-old continues to defend Moscow's position around the world, expressing himself almost daily on the Ukrainian and Syrian crises.

Sechin, the face of state capitalism

An old friend of Vladimir Putin, Igor Sechin heads the state-owned oil company Rosneft which he has transformed into a global giant in the face of mounting personal criticism.

Often called Russia's second most powerful man, Sechin seems untouchable. He even has the power to remove ministers, such as the former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev who opposed Rosneft's resale of oil company Bashneft.

Ulyukayev was arrested last year at Rosneft's headquarters, caught accepting a bribe that he said was a setup. He was sentenced to eight years in a high-security prison for corruption in December last year.

Nabiullina, the orthodox economist

Well-known economist Elvira Nabiullina was unexpectedly appointed head of Russia's central bank in 2013. Her appointment initially raised fears over the institution's independence due to her proximity to the Kremlin, but these have not been realised.

Financial circles welcomed Nabiullina's management of the economic crisis that hit Russia in 2014.

Under Nabiullina, the central bank applied sometimes unpopular methods to help avoid economic collapse during the crisis.

Kudrin the reformer

Finance minister from 2000 until Medvedev sacked him in 2011, Kudrin never strayed far from politics. A liberal respected by the Russian business community and foreign investors, Kudrin uses his independence to give regular interviews on economic issues.

Kudrin returned to the political fray as an advisor for Putin during the election campaign and this year gave an interview to Russian liberal daily Vedomosti explaining what he would do as prime minister.

Some suggested he could get a top economic post in the Kremlin in a reshuffle after Putin's inauguration in what would be a gift to those who hope for better ties with the West.