Majority Russians don’t believe in Medvedev-Putin rift

MOSCOW - A majority of Russian people do not believe that there is any lack of cooperation between the country’s president, Dmitry Medvedev, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

A poll conducted in 44 regions by Russian research organisation Levada said 71 percent of Russians do not think that a rift exists between the country’s two top leaders, while 15 percent said the disagreements between them could damage their relations and 14 percent were undecided, Xinhua reported.

A similar poll conducted by Levada in October said that for the first time in history, approval ratings of Medvedev and Putin were at an almost equal level.

In the poll participated by 1,600 people, Medvedev’s approval rating reached 76, while Putin’s remained at 77.

There have been many reports in the Western media about the discord between Medvedev and Putin. However, till date the two have been working well in a cooperative manner.

Both Medvedev and Putin have said they might run for president in the 2012 elections.