Russia: Putin and the Gazprom Succession

Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov could become the next chairman of the board of directors of natural gas behemoth Gazprom, Interfax reported Jan. 30. This is a quick fix for the problem of replacing Gazprom's current chairman, Dmitri Medvedev, who is all but destined to move into Russia's presidential seat. President Vladimir Putin could still insist on having Gazprom's top chair, but he is now more likely to let Zubkov warm his seat for awhile, lest Putin upset the balance of power within his own ruling faction.