MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Russia’s paramount leader, Prime  Minister Vladimir Putin, hinted yesterday he would return to the  presidency in 2012 for six more years and said democracy  protesters marching without permission deserved to be beaten.

Asked by the Kommersant daily newspaper in an interview  whether Russia’s 2012 presidential election did not worry him  because he had already decided it, Putin replied:

“No, it interests me like…I wanted to say like everyone,  but in fact more than everyone else. But I don’t want to make a  fetish out of it.”

Putin ruled as president from 2000 to 2008 before handing  the presidency to his chosen successor Dmitry Medvedev, in order  to observe a law banning a third consecutive term.

However Putin will be free to run again in 2012 for a newly  extended term of six years.

“The most important thing is that these problems of 2012  don’t derail us from the path of stable development,” Putin  added in the interview.

In separate remarks on Monday to Russian reporters, Putin  praised Medvedev’s conduct of Russia’s foreign policy, which he  said was just as strong as its domestic policy.

“I am tired of dealing with foreign policy,” Russian news  agencies quoted Putin as saying. “Dmitry Anatolyevich (Medvedev)  is doing this work well. Why butt in? It’s not a hobby”.

Putin said he and Medvedev frequently discussed foreign  policy but claimed that the decisions were always left to  Medvedev and dismissed as “blabber” the notion that he was still  running the country.

Putin also said the two men were discussing possible cabinet  changes.