The session of the 9th Congress of Russia’s ruling party United Russia lasted for only 45 minutes. Outgoing President Vladimir Putin and President Elect Dmitry Medvedev took part in the meeting.

The United Russia Party holds a convention this week and is expected to ask outgoing Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to head the organization, which controls parliament and can check any presidential attempt to remove the prime minister.

U.S. President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed to overcome their differences on missile defense at their final summit in south Russia on Sunday. However; Russian President-elect Dmitry Medvedev told U.S. President George Bush on Sunday that maintaining good relations between the countries is a key factor for international security.

George W Bush has said that he will meet with the president of Russia Vladimir Putin next week in Russia to try to break a logjam between the two nations over a proposed US missile defense system.

Dmitri Medvedev, 42, officially becomes president of Russia on May 7. He will succeed Vladimir Putin, who has led the country for eight years. But Mr. Putin will not leave the political scene - Mr. Medvedev has promised to name him prime minister.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart George W Bush have discussed an upcoming NATO-Russia summit in a telephone conversation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged citizens to actively take part in this Sunday's presidential elections that many observers see as an easy victory for his handpicked successor.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia has common peaceful interests with the United States and Europe, but will be forced to target missiles against neighbors if threatened by NATO expansion. The Russian leader expressed these and other views of Russian foreign and domestic affairs during his annual Kremlin news conference, which lasted four hours and 40 minutes. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.

Three weeks ahead of a presidential election to elect his successor, Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the country's top officials to outline his vision for Russia through the year 2020.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized the U.S. and NATO for military expansion toward Russia's borders and said his nation would respond to "new threats" by modernizing its weapons systems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare visit to military bases in the restive northern Caucasus.

Reports from Moscow say Russian prosecutors are to open a criminal inquiry into the presidential candidacy of former prime minister, Mikhail Kasyanov.