Vladimir Putin’s hand-picked successor as Russian president on Tuesday made clear that his patron would remain a dominant political force in the country by nominating him as its next prime minister.

Dmitry Medvedev said that, if elected, he would ask Mr Putin to take the post of prime minister as a way of ensuring continuity: “I find it extremely important for our country to keep Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin in the most important position in executive power, in the post of chairman of the government of Russia.”