'Don't squeeze N Korea' - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said North Korea should not be driven into a corner if the world wants to rein in its nuclear weapons programme.
He said some negotiators "failed to find the right tone" with the country.
He is taking part in a live TV phone-in with Russians nationwide, which is being broadcast on TV and radio.
He has repeated he will not try to run for office again when his term ends in 2008, but said he would try to continue to influence political affairs.
On North Korea, Mr Putin said a solution could be found "with goodwill".
Even in losing the job that I like, I hope I will manage to retain the essential thing - your trust
Russian President Vladimir Putin
"You must never push one of the participants in talks into a corner," he said.
North Korea said earlier this month that it had tested a nuclear weapon.
Mr Putin said he expected to retain political influence after stepping down at the end of his final term in 2008, but did not specify in what role.
"Even in losing the job that I like, I hope I will manage to retain the essential thing - your trust," he said, adding: "With you, we can influence the life of the country" after 2008.
'Alarmed'
On the question of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are both seeking independence from Russia's neighbour Georgia, Mr Putin said Russia had no plans for increasing its territory at anybody's expense.
Its main goal is to prevent bloodshed in Georgia's relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, he said.
If Georgia opts for the use of force, it will make a big mistake, he added.
"Georgia joined the Russian empire voluntarily... We respect the Georgian people... Georgians made a huge contribution to the Russian state... We're very alarmed by the current [Georgian] leadership's efforts to resolve these problems through force... We want relations with Georgia to get back to normal."
Direct questioning
People can take part by telephone or e-mail, and residents in nine selected towns are putting their questions direct to Mr Putin.
More than a million questions have been submitted to the organisers' website, many about worries over wages, pensions and rising housing costs.
One of the towns chosen to take part directly is Kondopoga close to the border with Finland, where in August violent race riots erupted and businesses owned by migrants were attacked.
'Don't squeeze N Korea' - Putin 
