Russia's president made a decision to get rid of his country's prime minister. President Vladimir Putin holds the power in Russia. The prime minister does not. But Putin's decision to accept his subordinate's resignation may still be significant. He will name a new prime minister, and that Russian politician could assume a role as Putin's successor.
A favorite for the job is Sergei Ivanov, who like Putin once worked for the old Soviet spy agency, the KGB. He's also a long-time friend of the man who is now president. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.