Putin says to head Russia's biggest party

President Vladimir Putin accepted an offer to become chairman of Russia's biggest party, a move that would entrench his influence after stepping down as Kremlin leader next month. "I accept the invitation of the party. I am ready to take on myself...

President Vladimir Putin accepted an offer to become chairman of Russia's biggest party, a move that would entrench his influence after stepping down as Kremlin leader next month.

"I accept the invitation of the party. I am ready to take on myself the additional responsibility and head the party," Putin told delegates at a United Russia party conference in Moscow which was broadcast live by state television.

United Russia, which controls the Duma (lower house of parliament), created the post of chairman this week specially for Putin, who helped found the party.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.