Vladimir Putin visits Sochi ahead of Olympics

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with former ice hockey player Pavel Bure (C) during a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT ICE HOCKEY OLYMPICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko (C) take part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R), his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko (C) and retired Russian ice hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov take part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) takes part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko take part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin smiles as he takes part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin takes part in a friendly ice hockey match in the Bolshoi Ice Palace near Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin signs a wall during his visit to an Olympic volunteer's centre in Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R), Organising Committee Head Dmitry Chernyshenko (C) and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (L) visit an Olympic volunteer's centre in Sochi January 4, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R), Organising Committee Head Dmitry Chernyshenko (C) and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak (L) visit an Olympic volunteers centre in Sochi January 4, 2014. Putin has eased curbs on demonstrations in the Winter Olympics venue of Sochi in a gesture likely to burnish Russia's image ahead of an event dogged by security and human rights worries. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chat during their visit to the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev chat during their visit to the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on during his visit to the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (C) sit on a chair lift during their visit to the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Laura" cross country ski and biathlon centre in the resort of Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 3, 2014. REUTERS/Alexei Nikolskiy/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIAPOLITICS OLYMPICS - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS