London, Nov 7 : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin could reclaim presidency by making incumbent Dmitry Medvedev to step down next year, senior government sources have said.

The Kremlin dropped clear hints that Putin plans a swift return and Medvedev is first expected to usher through constitutional changes that would allow Putin to return to his old job for 12 more years, Russian paper Vedomosti quoted senior government sources, as saying.

Moscow- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for the extension the presidential term from four to six years in his first state-of-the-nation address since succeeding Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

Medvedev, 43, addressing the country's top political elite, gathered in the Kremlin's opulent St George Hall, said the change would allow the government to carry through more effectively with its reforms.

Moscow/Kiev - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met Thursday with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for talks on natural gas and other energy issues.

Putin and Tymoshenko held the discussions in a Russian government country mansion in the village of Novo-Ogarevo, outside Moscow.

The top issue for the two prime ministers was gas shipments between the two countries, particularly Russian pricing for gas sold to Ukraine, and Ukrainian pricing for gas shipped by Russia via Ukrainian pipelines to European consumers.

Moscow- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told investors at a forum in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi on Friday that Russia would not play politics with its market and remained open to foreigners despite acrimony over its war with Georgia.

"Our ideology and politics remain the same," Putin told executives. "Confrontation is not our choice. There will be no politically motivated closing of our market or curbs on economic relations."

Moscow  - Russia's defence spending will increase 27 per cent in 2009, news agency Interfax quoted Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as saying on Tuesday.

"Nearly 2.4 trillion rubles (94.23 billion dollars) will be allocated for the needs of national defence and security," Putin was quoted as saying. "This is an increase of 27 per cent."

The announcement comes on the heels of Russia's crushing defeat of Georgian forces on the former Soviet satellite's soil last month.

London, September 16 : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has promised to teach President Nicolas Sarkozy judo.

The former president has revealed that Sarkozy wants to take some lessons on his martial arts skills.

"He is interested in martial arts and we have decided to do some training together," the Telegraph quoted him as telling Le Figaro, one of the leading French morning daily newspapers.

Officials at Sarkozy’s office have not confirmed the forthcoming judo sessions.