Senior Russian government figures have rebelled against a deal between Dmitry Medvedev, the president, and Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, to switch jobs next year.

The rebellion indicates that the handover arrangement will not be as smooth as the two leaders anticipated. After Saturday’s announcement that Mr Medvedev would take over as prime minister, while backing Mr Putin to return to the presidency in March 2012 elections, Alexei Kudrin, finance minister, announced during a meeting in Washington that he would “definitely refuse” to work with Mr Medvedev in the cabinet.

Mr Kudrin and Mr Medvedev, both economic and political liberals, have a fraught relationship. Mr Medvedev’s attempts to ram through spending increases have alienated his finance minister. Mr Kudrin had also appeared to harbour hopes of becoming prime minister if Mr Putin became president again.