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In a live appearance on Russian television, Russian PM Vladimir Putin said he will 'think about' reclaiming the presidency in 2012.

Asked about Putin's comments, President Dmitry Medvedev repeated the line that he and the prime minister would come to an agreement on who would run so as to avoid 'elbowing one another.' He very eloquently, however, said 'if Putin doesn't rule out running, neither do I rule myself out.' Medvedev must have studied under the Rumsfeldian school of evasion.

This is setting up a potentially explosive confrontation, less between the two men than between their two camps: the liberals around Medvedev and the silvoki clan Putin heads. Vested interests can be tricky politics.

Further, pay attention to how the story around last week's train bombing develops. The political implications are unclear at the moment, but terrorism obviously plays to Putin's strengths (See: 1999 apartment block bombings.) An economy (Medvedev) v. security (Putin) election narrative would be interesting.