Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин; born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician who served as the second President of the Russian Federation. Putin is currently Prime Minister of Russia and as of the 2012 election, he is also the President-elect. Putin also serves as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election; in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.