MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday unexpectedly dismissed his close ally and powerful chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, in the highest-level change inside the Kremlin in several years.
The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin had “decreed to relieve Ivanov of his duties” and handed him a job as a special representative for conservation, environmental and transportation issues.
Ivanov – who served together with Putin in the Soviet-era KGB spy agency – was replaced by his deputy Anton Vaino.
Russian state-media quickly aired footage of Putin thanking a smiling Ivanov for his work and presenting the move as a mutual decision.
“I …read more
Source: Geo TV
