TODAY: Zyuganov won’t pull out of the presidential race, although Medvedev looks set for an overwhelming victory. Lavrov speaks out on international disputes. NATO-Russia summit to go ahead in April. Kremlin wants Russian GPS system to rival the US. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov insists that he won’t pull out of the forthcoming presidential elections, despite reports that poor media coverage has pushed his party to consider it. The party secretary said, “The outcome [of the elections] is almost predetermined. The question is whether there is any sense in taking part in this farce.” Zyuganov believes that a media campaign is being waged against him. The Liberal Democratic Party leader and presidential candidate Vladimir Zhirinovsky gave a speech in front of the British Embassy, blaming Britain for fomenting the 18th-century war between Russia and Sweden and starting World War II. “In time, Britain will be recognized as the most barbaric country on the planet,” he said. Mikhail Kasyanov has run into further problems with his bid to run for president, with authorities now claiming that 50,000 of Kasyanov’s signatures show “discrepancies”. A new poll by Levada, in any case, shows that “Kremlin front-runner” in the forthcoming election, Dmitry Medvedev, already has the backing of 82% of voters.