Dmitriy Medvedev said that he may decide to seek reelection in 2012. “Provided that I work well and am successful in everything, why should I not run? If I have the trust and support of the Russian people, this decision would be absolutely normal,” said the incumbent President of Russia.

When reporters asked Mr. Medvedev questions of what the plans of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would be for the 2012 election, he dodged the issue, saying only that “such questions should be addressed to the Prime Minister himself.” “We are two totally different people,” remarked Medvedev.

At the same time, Medvedev said that to his knowledge Mr. Putin recently spoke publically with regards to this matter. “The Prime Minister said that as responsible policymakers to whom the people of Russia trust, we need to talk about this issue together.”

The fact that these kinds of discussions will take place does not show that the Russian President and Prime Minister are going to make a decision in the place of somebody else. These “consultations” will simply reflect that people of political authority weigh in on the debate of how to achieve continuity in Russia’s domestic and foreign policy.

Although reluctant to speak definitively about the future, Dmitriy Medvedev noted that he is ready to serve his country in whatever position he would find himself after the election two and a half years from now. “The tasks the president has to do are very difficult. The job of prime minister is also not an easy one. Therefore, there is not much difference in this sense,” said the Russian head of state.