** EMBARGOED: NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE 2100 GMT SUNDAY DEC. 31 2006. ** Russian President Vladimir Putin seen during the recording of his annual televised New Year's message at the Kremlin, with the Spassky Tower in the background, in Moscow, recorded on Wednesday night, Dec. 27, 2006. The recording will be aired near midnight Dec. 31, 2006. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

** EMBARGOED: NOT FOR PUBLICATION BEFORE 2100 GMT SUNDAY DEC. 31 2006. ** Russian President Vladimir Putin seen during the recording of his annual televised New Year's message at the Kremlin, with the Spassky Tower in the background, in Moscow, recorded on Wednesday night, Dec. 27, 2006. The recording was aired near midnight Dec. 31, 2006. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS/ Presidential Press Service)

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during a Cabinet meeting in the Moscow Kremlin, Monday, Dec. 25, 2006. Russian state gas monopoly OAO Gazprom on Monday threatened neighboring Belarus over its refusal to agree to tough conditions on a natural gas price increase, saying its gas supplies could be at risk on Jan. 1. Belarus is a traditional ally of Russia, but its authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has fallen out with Putin since refusing to incorporate his country into Russia under a union treaty the two states signed in the 1990s but never implemented. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS/Presidential Press Service, Dmitry Astakhov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks around during a visit to famous Russian artist Ilya Glazunov's personal arts gallery, Thursday night in Moscow, Dec. 21, 2006. (AP Photo/Dmitry Astakhov/ITAR-TASS, Presidential Press Service )

Russian President Vladimir Putin seen during a meeting with officials in the Kremlin in Moscow, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006. The meeting focused on Russia's population decline and measures to reverse it. (AP Photo/ITAR-TASS, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, listens during a press conference in Dresden, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday for talks about Iran's nuclear program and growing Russian-German economic ties, revisiting the city where he once served as a KGB spy. (AP Photo/Matthias Rietschel)

Russian President Vladimir Putin waves to reporters standing next to his car after he arrives at the airport in Dresden, eastern Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006. Vladimir Putin returned Tuesday to the German city where he once spied for the KGB to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel about Iran and Russia's expanding ties with Europe's biggest economy. (AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz)

President Vladimir Putin enters the Alexander Hall for a presentation ceremony of credentials by ambassadors in the Kremlin in Moscow, Friday, Feb. 3, 2006. Vladimir Putin received the credentials of nine new ambassadors to Russia. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

President Vladimir Putin enters the Alexander Hall for a presentation ceremony of credentials by ambassadors in the Kremlin in Moscow, Friday, Feb. 3, 2006. Vladimir Putin received the credentials of nine new ambassadors to Russia. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

PHOTO: Wojtek Laski/East News Prezydent Rosji Wladimir Putin podczas II Forum Gospodarczego Polska - Rosja, Poznan, 17.01.2002

Photo: Laski Diffusion / East News Vladimir Putin in KGB uniform, circa 1980.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening of a new building housing the Russian State History Archives in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Dec. 23, 2005. In the background is the Russian state emblem. Vladimir Putin arrived in St. Petersburg on Friday to attend the opening of a new high-tech building for the archives. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

President Vladimir Putin of Russia addresses the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters Thursday Sept. 15, 2005. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Russian President Vladimir Putin shades his eyes as he watches a demonstration flights during the Moscow International Air show at Zhukovsky airfield outside Moscow, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005. Over 600 companies from 40 nations were taking part in the six-day show, with about 200 aircraft on display at Zhukovsky airfield, once-secret military airfield just outside Moscow, where the Soviet Union once tested its military aircraft. (AP Photo/Mladen Antonov, Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a press conference at the end of the G8 summit in the Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder Scotland Friday July 8, 2005. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

Russian President Vladimir Putin passes by an honor guard during an awards ceremony in the Moscow Kremlin, Sunday, June 12, 2005. Putin celebrated a national holiday marking Russia's independence with an elaborate Kremlin awards ceremony Sunday. (AP Photo/ ITAR-TASS/ Presidential Press Service)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the media during a joint news conference with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava, Slovakia on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005. Putin gave a glowing assessment Friday of his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, calling it very positive and saying it set an agenda for cooperation in the coming years. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the media during a joint news conference with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava, Slovakia on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005. Putin gave a glowing assessment Friday of his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, calling it very positive and saying it set an agenda for cooperation in the coming years. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the media during a joint news conference with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava, Slovakia on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005. Putin gave a glowing assessment Friday of his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, calling it very positive and saying it set an agenda for cooperation in the coming years. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the media during a joint news conference with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava, Slovakia on Friday, Feb. 25, 2005. Putin gave a glowing assessment Friday of his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, calling it very positive and saying it set an agenda for cooperation in the coming years. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)