Leaving the Presidency in Russia, Medvedev Fights for Relevance

By ELLEN BARRY

President Dmitri A. Medvedev spent last Friday trying to persuade the grandees of United Russia that he is a conservative who can lead the party to victory. But many looked at him and saw Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin’s liberal sidekick, who emboldened the opposition and supported the West in Libya.

During his first two terms, Mr. Putin removed prime ministers quickly when a crisis arose, and some in Moscow speculate that Mr. Medvedev will last only months or a year in his new position.

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