Bush curious who will lead Russia after its elections Next world summit could be revealing, president says

First Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a meeting in Moscow's Kremlin, February 28, 2008. Russia votes on Sunday in a presidential election that is almost certain to hand victory to Dmitry Medvedev, the man President Vladimir Putin has endorsed to replace him. REUTERS/Pool (RUSSIA) Ran on: 02-29-2008 Who's the boss? Dmitry Medvedev (left) and Vladimir Putin attend a meeting in Moscow. less First Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin attend a meeting in Moscow's Kremlin, February 28, 2008. Russia votes on Sunday in a presidential ... more Photo: POOL Photo: POOL Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Bush curious who will lead Russia after its elections 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Like the rest of an anxious world, President Bush said Thursday he's waiting to see who will wield the real power in Russia after next month's elections - departing President Vladimir Putin or his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev.

It will be interesting, the president mused, to see who shows up for Russia at the next summit of world leaders.

Bush was asked at a news conference about the future of one of the nation's most important foreign relationships, one that has been increasingly troubled. He said he, too, was eager for insights into "how Russia intends to conduct foreign policy after Vladimir Putin's presidency. And I can't answer the question yet."

Bush is not the only one puzzled by the 42-year-old Medvedev (pronounced MED'-veh-dev), who was plucked from obscurity by Putin to follow him as president after the March 2 elections. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton stumbled for his name in Tuesday's presidential debate before coming up with, "Medvedev - whatever." Nevertheless, she said Medvedev was someone "who Putin can control, who has very little independence, the best we know." Clinton's rival, Sen. Barack Obama, agreed that Putin would "continue to have the strongest hand in Russia."

When Medvedev takes office, Putin will become prime minister. The suspicion is he will be the power behind the president.

When a questioner asked Bush if Medvedev would be Putin's puppet, Bush replied, "No, I wouldn't say that. That's your conclusion, not mine."

The uncertainty about the Kremlin's new leadership comes at a time of difficult relations between Moscow and Washington in disputes ranging from Kosovo's independence and Bush's proposal for new missile defenses in central Europe to the Kremlin's increasingly authoritarian stand on political, religious and press freedoms and the emergence of democracies on Russia's borders. Business between the United States and Russia has taken on an edgy tone, compared to the warmth in 2001 when Bush said he looked into Putin's soul and liked what he saw.

"Putin is a straightforward, pretty tough character when it comes to his interests," Bush said Thursday. "Well, so am I. And we've had some head-butts, diplomatic head-butts.

"And yet, in spite of that, our differences of opinions, we still have got a cordial enough relationship to be able to deal with common threats and opportunities," Bush said. "And that's going to be important for the next president to maintain."

Medvedev has served in the Kremlin in a series of subordinate roles and has said little about his foreign policy views. He has not criticized any of Putin's policies and has seemed intent on copying Putin even in small things, even taking up swimming and skiing. He has worked for Putin for eight years as the Russian president has clamped down on democracy, expanded the government's control and used the power of the state to crush political foes.

On Tuesday, Medvedev said he was willing to work with any future American president who isn't stuck in the past and doesn't have "semi-senile views."