Putin explains delay in decision on 2012 vote

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says it's still too early to say whether he will return to the presidency next year, or whether President Dmitry Medvedev will seek a second term.

If the decision were already known, Putin said Wednesday, "then half of the presidential administration and more than half of the government would stop working in expectation of some kind of changes."

Putin said in televised remarks that he and Medvedev are asked this question so often they have learned to give the same answer.

The Russian leaders' standard answer is that they will decide based on the situation in the country ahead of the March 2012 election. Putin repeated this answer Wednesday, the day after Medvedev said the same in an interview with Chinese television.