Putin proposes reappointing Mikhail Mishustin as Russian PM. Who is he?

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who began his fifth term as president on Tuesday (May 7), has proposedreappointing MikhailMishustin as the country's prime minister. On Friday (May 10),the speaker of the Duma (the lower house of parliament), Vyacheslav Volodin, said in a post on Telegram that Putin "submitted to the State Duma a proposal on the candidacy of Mikhail VladimirovichMishustinfor the post of Chairman of the Government."

"Today, deputies will make a responsible decision on behalf of their constituents on this issue," Volodin said.

Mishutin, 58, was appointedasprime minister in January 2020 and has beenservingin the top position since then.A report by the news agency Reuters said that along with other members of the Russian elite,Mishustin hasbeen targetedby Western sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Who isMikhail Mishustin?

Mikhail Mishustin was born on March 3, 1966. The 58-year-old comes acrossas a confident communicator, often seen on television fielding pointed questions from Putin on government tasks and deadlines.

He was appointed by Putinas PM in January 2020,replacing Dmitry Medvedev.Before becoming the prime minister, Mishustin headed Russia's federal tax service,where hewas creditedwith more than doubling revenuesduring his decade in charge.

His tenure as PM has been dominated by the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war.Reuters reported that the 58-year-old wasnamed the head of a new Coordination Council in October 2022 to work with regional leaders and industryto better supply the armed forcesand improve medical and logistical support.

Having no background in security services, Mishustin is not part of the so-called siloviki (strongmen) faction of intelligence veteranswho areclose to Putin.

'My govt faced very complicated conditions'

In his annual report to Parliament last month, Mishustin said that his government faced"very complicated" conditions but succeeded in adapting Russia's economy to Western sanctions and delivering on targets set by President Putin.

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Duma SpeakerVolodin also said on Friday thatMishustin, who would speak in the Duma before the vote,must answer how he will solve many tasks set by Putin for the government, including increasing the defence capability of Russia.

(With inputs from agencies)