Vladimir Putin Russia Presidential Run: Prime Minister Announces Bid For 2012 Election

Vladimir Putin said Saturday he'll run for Russia's presidency next year, almost certainly ensuring he'll retake the office and foreshadowing years more of a strongman rule that many in the West have criticized as a retreat from democracy. The announcement sets up the possibility that Putin could reign over Russia until 2024.

In nominating Putin on Saturday, his United Russia party also approved his proposal that President Dmitry Medvedev take over Putin's current role as prime minister. Putin took over the premiership after serving as president from 2000-2008, bowing to term limits. But he was always the more powerful figure, with Medvedev viewed as a caretaker president.
Putin's return to the presidency also is unlikely to ease Russia's dispute with the United States over the building of a European missile-defense system. Economic pressures, however, could push Putin to pursue more business-friendly policies, analysts said.
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