Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born in 1965, is a prominent Russian politician who served as President of Russia from 2008 to 2012, and then as Prime Minister from 2012 to 2020. During his presidency, Medvedev initiated a wide-ranging modernization program for Russia's economy and society, oversaw recovery from the Great Recession, and signed the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, though his term also saw the Russo-Georgian War.
Initially seen as a more liberal figure than his predecessor and successor Vladimir Putin, Medvedev's political stance has notably transformed. Since stepping down as Prime Minister in January 2020 and becoming deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, he has adopted increasingly hawkish and anti-Western positions. This significant shift in rhetoric is widely viewed by observers as an attempt to alter his public image from a moderate subordinate and position himself as a potential successor to Putin.