Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the

President of the Russian Federation

The President of the Russian Federation is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Russian Federation...

 Russian Federation

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 and is the current Prime Minister of Russia

Prime Minister of Russia

The Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation The use of the term "Prime Minister" is strictly informal and is not allowed for by the Russian Constitution and other laws....

, as well as chairman of United Russia

United Russia

United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...

 and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus

Union of Russia and Belarus

The Union State , semi-officially known as Union State of Russia and Belarus , is a supranational entity consisting of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.- Creation :...

. He became acting President

Acting President of the Russian Federation

The Acting President of the Russian Federation is a temporary post provided by the Constitution of Russia. Acting President is a person who fulfills the duties of President of the Russian Federation when cases of incapacity and vacancy occur...

 on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...

 resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election

Russian presidential election, 2000

Russian presidential elections were held on 26 March 2000. Incumbent Prime Minister, and acting President Vladimir Putin, who had succeeded Boris Yeltsin on his resignation December 31, 1999, was seeking a four-year term in his own right and won the elections in the first round. Polling stations...

 and in 2004 he was re-elected

Russian presidential election, 2004

Presidential elections were held in Russia on 14 March 2004. Incumbent Vladimir Putin was seeking a second full four-year term. He was re-elected with 71.31% of the vote.-Sergey Glazyev:...

 for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008.

Because of constitutionally

Constitution of Russia

The current Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication...

 mandated term limits, Putin was ineligible to run for a third consecutive presidential term.