MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party will name its candidate for next year’s presidential election at a congress on December 17, party leader Boris Gryzlov said on Friday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian and Belarus officials rejected on Friday a media report that President Vladimir Putin could create a new role for himself by heading a union of Russia and ex-Soviet Belarus after he quits next year.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO ministers pledged on Friday to keep their KFOR peace force in Kosovo at current strength as the Serbian province heads towards independence and to make more troops available as necessary to deal with any violence.