Vladimir Putin was the leader of the Russian government.
The President of the Russian Federation ( [ Президент Российской Федерации , r = Prezident Rossiiskoi Federatsii ] ) is the elected head of state , Supreme Commander-in-Chief and holder of the highest office within the Russian Federation . Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 .