What happened
Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off his fifth term in office by unexpectedly replacing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister with a long career in government finance and economic development. Shoigu was appointed secretary of Russia's Security Council.
Who said what
Putin wanted a defense minister "open to innovation and cutting-edge ideas" and able to fit Russia's defense budget "into the country's wider economy," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.
Tatiana Stanovaya, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said Putin is treating his Security Council as a "reservoir" for his "'former' key figures — people who he can't in any way let go, but doesn't have a place for," like former President Dmitry Medvedev.
What next?
Having an economist as defense minister reflects the "changing priorities of the Kremlin" two years into its costly war in Ukraine, said BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg. Peskov said Putin's Cabinet shakeup will not affect "the military aspect," which has "always been the prerogative of the chief of general staff," currently Gen. Valery Gerasimov.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Democrats sweep top races in off-year electionSpeed Read A trio of nationally watched races went to the party
-
Trump to partly fund SNAP as shutdown talks progressSpeed Read The administration has said it will cover about 50% of benefits
-
SNAP aid uncertain amid court rulings, politicsSpeed Read Funding for additional SNAP benefits ran out over the weekend
-
Pentagon unable to name boat strike casualtiesSpeed Read The Pentagon has so far acknowledged 14 strikes
-
Trump limits refugees mostly to white South AfricansSpeed Read The administration is capping the number of refugees at 7,500
-
Dutch center-left rises in election as far-right fallsSpeed Read The country’s other parties have ruled against forming a coalition
-
Judge rules US attorney ‘unlawfully serving’Speed Read Bill Essayli had been serving in the role without Senate confirmation
-
Trump ends Asia trip with Xi meeting, nuke threatSpeed Read Trump had spent the last six days in Asia
