Vladimir Putin and Kremlin race

Vladimir Putin and Kremlin race

10 months before Russia's next presidential elections, the general public and analysts are still in the dark about who will be running. Will incumbent leader Dmitry Medvedev seek a second term? Or is his predecessor and mentor Vladimir Putin planning a return? Might they even run against each other?

Dmitry Medvedev finds himself in a very uncomfortable position.

He is the president of the world's largest country, one of the richest in natural resources, and still one of the most powerful.

He has had a reasonably successful three years in office. Russia weathered the world financial crisis better than many countries, and his approval ratings are still good.

He has every right to run for a second presidential term.

Yet it is far from clear that he will, because always in the background is the very real possibility that his former mentor Vladimir Putin will want to become president again.

Travelling with Mr Medvedev on a regional visit in Kostroma some 300km (186 miles) from Moscow, the most striking thing was how similar his style appears to be to that of politicians in Western Europe.

He has a lightness of touch, a ready wit, and an instant rapport with people he meets.

If the Russian political establishment gets behind him and he becomes their chosen candidate, then opinion polls suggest he would easily win the presidential election next year.

But his political support base does not appear to be that big. There would be no great public outcry if his political career ended next year.

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