competing with -LRB- Secretary of State -RRB- Hillary Clinton ? '' Medvedev asked . `` Both of them were bidding for the presidential nomination ... Both were from the Democratic Party , and -LRB- the party -RRB- finally decided which of them should run to gain the best election result . Our decision was the same , '' Medvedev said . `` We want to achieve a political result , to win the elections -- the parliamentary elections in December and the presidential elections in March -- not to be nursing our ambitions , '' Medvedev said . `` Any responsible person 's ambition is to serve his country , and I insist on that , '' he said . Commenting on the statements made by some people that the outcome of the Russian presidential elections is `` predetermined '' , Medvedev said , `` I consider such statements absolutely irresponsible , deceitful , and even provocative . '' `` The decisions made at the congress are only recommendations to the party to support two people in the elections , no more than that , '' he said . Last Saturday Medvedev called on the ruling United Russia party to
Moscow -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday he had ceded his presidency bid to the country 's powerful Prime Minister Vladimir Putin because the latter is a more popular politician in Russia , who has higher chances to be elected . `` Prime Minister Putin is definitely the most authoritative politician in our country and his rating is somewhat higher -LRB- than mine -RRB- , '' Medvedev said in a taped interview with Russia 's national TV networks . Public opinion polls in Russia have invariably indicated that Putin has been ahead of Medvedev in popularity ever since they constructed their ruling tandem almost four years ago . According to the most recent poll , conducted by independent Levada Center , the approval rating of Medvedev stood at 62 per cent in September , compared to Putin 's 68 per cent . In his Friday television interview Medvedev said that he and Putin belong to `` the same political force '' and have `` very close positions on all strategic and tactical issues '' and therefore should n't compete or quarrel . `` Can we possibly imagine , for instance , -LRB- U.S. President -RRB- Barack Obama