# Federation Council The Federation Council (Совет Федерации) is the upper house of the Russian Federal Assembly, consisting of 170 members — two representatives from each of Russia's federal subjects (one appointed by the regional governor, one by the regional legislature), plus up to 30 presidential appointees added by the 2020 constitutional amendments. It reviews legislation passed by the [[State Duma]], approves the use of armed forces abroad, confirms presidential appointments to senior judicial positions, and can approve a state of emergency. ## Function The Federation Council is even less independent than the Duma. Since [[Vladimir Putin]] effectively controls the appointment of regional governors (who were directly appointed by the president from 2004 to 2012 and remain dependent on Kremlin approval), the Council's members are selected through a chain of loyalty that traces back to the presidency. The body reliably approves Kremlin-backed legislation and has never blocked a significant presidential initiative. The Council's most consequential vote in recent years was its February 22, 2022, authorization for the use of Russian armed forces abroad — the legal pretext for the invasion of Ukraine, passed unanimously. ## See Also - [[Russian Government]] — the system overview - [[State Duma]] — the lower house - [[Vladimir Putin]] — the figure who controls appointments