Russia’s ruling party on Thursday unanimously backed President Vladimir Putin’s surprise choice for prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, a man with almost no political profile. Mikhail Mishustin, who was earlier nominated by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the candidate for the post of Prime Minister, reacts before a meeting with members of the Just Russia party at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia January 16, 2020. Mishustin’s elevation is part of a sweeping shake-up of the political system announced by Putin on Wednesday, which led to the resignation of Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister along with his government. The changes are widely seen as giving Putin, 67, scope to extend his grip on power once he leaves the presidency in 2024. He has dominated Russian politics, as president or as prime minister, for two decades. Russia’s State Duma, the lower […]