Dmitry Medvedev, who is most likely to be Russia’s next president, on Friday unveiled a liberal-sounding economic agenda to cut back red tape and clamp down on corruption. However, he offered little sign that he would attempt to carve out a path independent from Vladimir Putin, the incumbent.

“One of the key elements of our work in the next four years will be ensuring the independence of the legal system from the executive and legislative branches of power,” Mr Medvedev said in a speech, just two weeks before presidential elections on March 2. As Mr Putin’s preferred successor, he is expected to sweep to victory.