According to the Financial Times, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev is starting to worry Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the latter’s allies. The reason: Medvedev is becoming increasingly assertive, paying less respect to Putin and being more outspoken about his own (constitutional) powers.

Ever since Medvedev took over from Putin, because Putin had to resign after two straight terms as president, experts inside and outside of Russia took care to explain to readers and viewers that Putin remained the true power in Moscow. Medvedev, it was said, was Putin’s strongman; he was installed to take over from Putin for a couple of years after which Putin would return for (at the very least) two more terms as president.

Medvedev seemed more than willing to function as the formal but not true leader of his country; he spoke about Putin with tremendous respect, telling everyone who asked that he “consulted” with his predecessor before he made any (big) decisions.

The last couple of weeks have seen a change in Medvedev’s attitude and interviews, however. “The final responsibility for what happens in the country and for the important decisions taken would rest on my shoulders alone and I would not be able to share this responsibility with anyone,” Mr Medvedev told an interviewer recently for instance.

Putin and his allies are, meanwhile, wondering whether the change means that Medvedev will try to establish its authority more actively than they thought he would and whether or not he will be willing to step aside when Putin wants to make his grand planned comeback.

Be that as it may, the two can still get along personally; considering especially Putin’s character, this implies that he does not truly fear Medvedev(’s ambitions). If he did, he would dispose of Medvedev, accuse him of one crime against the state or another, and take his place.

It will be interesting to see where this goes in the coming weeks and months, however. Putin can be considered more authoritarian and less inclined to compromise than his successor. If Medvedev would succeed in drawing more power to himself and preventing Putin from pursuing his plans, the rest of the world would most likely be well served. Putin is the hawk of the two, the man wants to restore Russia’s power and sphere of influence by, if necessary, creating a second Cold War. Medvedev seems different, more moderate.