俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫日前提议修改宪法将总统任期延长至6年。俄媒体认为，梅德韦杰夫如果修改宪法，无疑是为普京2009年重返总统宝座铺垫好了道路。按照宪法对总统任期的要求，普京在两届任期满后由梅德韦杰夫接任。有人猜测梅德韦杰夫届满后，普京可能再次入主克里姆林宫。不过，普京的发言人却表示此类报道毫无根据、纯属臆测。

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin could return to the presidency¹ next year, a Russian newspaper reported yesterday citing a source close to the Kremlin, but Putin's spokesman said the report was untrue.

A proposal on Wednesday by President Dmitry Medvedev to extend the presidential term from four to six years has re-ignited speculation² that Putin, who stepped down this year because of a term limit, could be preparing a comeback.

Vedomosti newspaper reported that the proposed term extension was part of a plan drawn³ up by Vladislav Surkov, Medvedev's first deputy chief of staff, to trigger an early presidential election in which Putin would run.

"Under this scenario⁴ Medvedev could resign early citing changes to the constitution and then presidential elections could take place in 2009," the newspaper said, citing the unidentified source close to the Kremlin.

In the interim⁵, Medvedev would push through unpopular social reforms and implement⁶ the changes to the constitution to extend the presidential term "so that Putin could return to the Kremlin for a longer period", the newspaper said.

The paper said Putin could then serve as president for two six-year terms, from 2009 to 2021.

"These are purely⁷ the ponderings of the newspaper and the report is absolutely without foundation," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.a