Russian President Putin meets with Belarusian counterpart Lukashenko in Minsk

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko attend a wreath laying ceremony in Minsk on December 14, 2007.The two presidents discounted suggestions that Russian leader Putin could use talks on rejuvenating the notion of a merged post-Soviet state to create a power base after he steps down next year. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)