Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised journalists he will reveal whether or not he will stand for re-election in 2012 "soon".
His predecessor and mentor, Vladimir Putin, is eligible to stand again as president next year, after two previous terms in the Kremlin.
Mr Medvedev gave his first full news conference after three years in office.
Questioned about Syria, he said he would not back any UN resolutions paving the way for intervention.
Russia, he said, was not happy with the way the West had used the UN resolution on Libya.
Mr Medvedev also warned the US about the need to co-operate on missile defence. BBC NEWS
