PUTIN

Russian energy giant OAO Gazprom said that it was preparing documents on gas supplies which would be signed on Monday.

Russia and Ukraine are moving toward a government level meeting on Saturday to resolve the ongoing gas dispute, Ukraine's prime minister said Thursday.

A study carried out by a Russian physicist and computer programmer suggests that president-elect Dmitri Medvedev has won the polls by rigging the votes even as Russia's President Vladimir Putin's powers have been boosted by his decision to lead Russia's biggest political party, United Russia after stepping down as Kremlin leader next month.

NATO concluded the first day of annual summit meeting on a factious note, after allies refused to open membership doors to Ukraine and Georgia, on fear of a potential conflict with Russia.

U.S. President George Bush met with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev on Tuesday ahead of the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania on 2-4 April to discuss NATO enlargement and operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

Western observers criticized Russia's weekend presidential election on Monday saying it was not fully fair or democratic, but said its outcome broadly reflected the will of the people. President Vladimir Putin's hand-picked candidate, Dmitry Medvedev, won the ballot by a landslide on Sunday. Russia's liberals criticized the election as a farce, saying it was stage-managed by the Kremlin from the outset.

President Vladimir Putin may become the next chairman of Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom when he steps down following a presidential election in March, Vedomosti business daily reported on Friday.

Dmitry Medvedev, named by Russian President Vladimir Putin as his preferred successor, said on Tuesday he wanted Putin to become prime minister under him, mapping out a route for the outgoing leader to retain influence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party will name its candidate for next year's presidential vote on December 17 when it could become clearer who Putin wants to be his successor.

President Vladimir Putin's supporters will enjoy complete control over Russia's next parliament, a tally from Sunday's election showed, giving him a solid power base after he leaves the Kremlin.

President Vladimir Putin's party won a big majority in Russia's election on Sunday, but the opposition alleged fraud and vowed to contest a result that could help Putin keep a hold on power after he leaves office.

President Vladimir Putin accused Washington on Monday of plotting to undermine December parliamentary elections seen widely as a demonstration of his power in Russia.

President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party will win an overwhelming majority in a parliamentary election on December 2 and only one other party will get enough votes to join it, according to a poll on Wednesday.

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned that Moscow would not remain indifferent to NATO's muscle-flexing and said Russia's nuclear forces would be ready for an adequate response to any aggressor.

The party set to win a big majority in Russia's parliamentary election next month has boiled down its central idea to two words: Vladimir Putin.

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he expected a parliamentary election on December 2 to give him a moral right to influence Russian politics after he steps down from his Kremlin post next year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq on Thursday, saying that experience showed the need for resource-rich countries like Russia to build up their armed forces to defend themselves.

At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Bush said he would consider a peace treaty with North Korea if it gave up nuclear arms.

A Moscow court has declared OAO Yukos, once Russia's largest oil producer, bankrupt as company lawyers appealed the decision handed out on Tuesday.