Putin's Puppet Cutting the Strings?

It was a cozy little deal: Vladimir Putin, Russia's barechested macho czar, was constitutionally required to vacate the presidency.

Easy enough. He installed political son little Dmitry Medvedev in the presidency and took over the newly empowered post of Prime Minister. It was widely understood who the top dog was. Dmitry was the junior partner keeping the seat warm until Putin could legally regain it after Medvedev's term was compete

Now it looks like Czar Vlad's son may be gazing upon Mother Russia and entertaining Oedipal thoughts. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made the following statement to a reporter not too long ago:

“The final responsibility for what happens in the country and for the important decisions taken would rest on my shoulders alone and I would not be able to share this responsibility with anyone,” Mr Medvedev told an interviewer.

Putin's people are not happy.

Kremlin watchers say this assertiveness seems to be part of a new pattern, with Mr Medvedev appearing frustrated that, in spite of his constitutional power as commander in chief, he is stuck in a subordinate role.“An apprehension is growing on both sides, particularly the Putin side,” said Dmitry Simes, head of the Nixon Centre in Washington, who spent last week in Moscow.Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre think-tank, said:

"I don’t think he [Medvedev] is amused that he is regarded as a junior partner."

This could get interesting...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cfa5d788-d697-11dd-9bf7-000077b07658.html

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1110/42/373438.htm