In an article published by Time Magazine, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev said that he commends Putin's decision not to run for President a third time and sees nothing wrong in his desire to influence events even after the end of his term.

Time magazine has named Russian President Vladimir Putin its "Person of the year" for his "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability".

Vladimir Putin has again proved his mastery of the unexpected political move with his announcement that First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev is his preferred successor.

There has been a landslide victory for President Vladimir Putin's party in Russia's national elections. With 19 per cent of the ballots counted, United Russia has almost 64 per cent of the vote, trailed by the Communists with 11.5 per cent.

President Vladimir Putin has warned the world to steer clear of Russian politics, four days from parliamentary elections that his party is set to win.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says a win for his party in parliamentary elections next month would give him a moral mandate to influence Russian politics, even after he steps down from the Presidency.

US President Bush and Russian President Putin have been in a war of words this week, with Bush suggesting that the Iranian nuclear program could be the lynchpin for launching World War III.

President Vladimir Putin is to discuss Iran 's nuclear program with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is scheduled to fly to Moscow on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States is seeking ways to resolve differences over a planned missile shield, but he warned Russia could redeploy weapons if Russian concerns were not heeded.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured Iran that Moscow would not back out of a 1 billion U.S. dollar contract to complete a nuclear power plant in the Iranian port of Bushehr. Putin's remarks followed talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a summit of Caspian Sea nations in Tehran. The United States and other Western nations oppose the construction of the reactor, and believe that it is part of an effort by Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

In his mission to restore Russia's pride and prestige, President Vladimir Putin has repackaged the Soviet national anthem, reinvented patriotic pro-Kremlin youth groups, and revived the cult of the suave KGB officer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against the use of military force in the Caspian region. The Russian leader is in Iran for a summit of the five Caspian Sea nations. VOA's Challis McDonough has more in this report.