Moscow -

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the “world's most powerful” person, Forbes magazine said in its annual ranking published on Wednesday.

Putin was rated more powerful than Barack Obama because he “solidified his control over Russia”, while the US president's “lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual for a two-term president”, the US magazine wrote.

It is the first time that Putin has topped the list, which has been led by Obama every year since it began in 2009, except in 2010 when then-Chinese leader Hu Jintao was number one.

Forbes explained that “dictator” is no longer an outlandish word to ponder for the Russian leader, whom it described as the “omnipotent head of a corroding but still feisty superpower”.