Russia:Russian president Vladimir Putin has ruled out nominating a successor to replace him, quashing rumours in Moscow that he would soon anoint one as he enters his last year in office.
During his annual press conference, which lasted three and a half hours, Mr Putin fielded more than 60 questions from the Russian and international media on a range of issues from the planned US missile shield for western Europe to the sale of moonshine vodka.
Mr Putin said he would speak out on the presidency once campaigning got under way. Despite growing foreign criticism of his regime, the president enjoys 80 per cent approval ratings at home, according to the latest Levada independent poll, so his support could be crucial in deciding the country's next ruler.
"There will be no successors nominated, there will be presidential candidates and the function of the government is to ensure that the race is reflected in a democratic way in the mass media, so that the public can make their choice," he said.
Among the most touted names are the current defence minister, Sergei Ivanov, and the deputy prime minister, Sergei Medvedev, seen as representing two separate factions within the elite.
Breaking his previous speaking records for the annual event, Mr Putin held court for slightly longer than in 2006. He displayed all the guile of an accomplished politician in avoiding specifics on awkward issues before 1,200 reporters crammed into the Kremlin's round hall.
There was no doubt that his suspicion of the West continues. He advised Finland to think hard about the consequences of joining Nato, as this would "not promote the atmosphere" between the two countries.
The planned US missile shield base in Europe was also criticised, with Mr Putin asking why Washington kept claiming it would stop terrorist attacks or missiles from Iran. Neither were the real reason, he said.
Mr Putin also dwelt at length on energy issues. He said he was interested in greater co-operation between gas-exporting countries, but was not in favour of a cartel to mirror Opec's role in trying to control oil markets.
For 15 years, Russia had subsidised the energy requirements of the other former Soviet republics, but this relationship was now on the way to becoming firmly based on market prices, he said.
When asked about the shooting of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and the poisoning of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko, he split the two apart. For the first time, he offered a back-handed compliment to Politkovskaya. "The persecution of journalists is one of the most dire problems. It is our responsibility to protect them. Politkovskaya was critical of the state and that was good," he said. Other journalists, he said, had also died trying to bring democracy to Russia.
He then went on to attack the image of Litvinenko, insisting he had held only minor posts in the KGB and had no secrets to give away.
Litvinenko had been convicted of beating up civilians and stealing arms, which was why he was jailed for three years, but never had reason to flee Russia, Mr Putin said. As a result, there was no reason why anyone would want him murdered, he said, adding that he didn't believe in "conspiracy theories".