Russia's government resigned on Wednesday after President
Vladimir Putin proposed a shake-up of the constitution, in a shock announcement that fuelled speculation about Putin's future plans.
The resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev -- a longtime Putin ally -- came after the president used his annual state of the nation address to propose a package of constitutional reforms that would strengthen parliament's role.
Speculation has swirled about changes to Russia's political system that would allow Putin to stay on after 2024, when he is due to step down after a fourth
Kremlin term.