Putin (right) hugs outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev during a rally near the Kremlin in Moscow on Sunday night. [Dmitry Astakhou / RIA-Novosti Pool Via AFP]

"Either reform or be worse," he added.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Monday that Germany wants to work with incoming Russian president Putin "constructively and in a trusting way" and to extend a strategic partnership.

"Russia is and remains a centrally important partner for Germany and Europe. We therefore want to continue and deepen the strategic partnership with Russia," he said in a written statement.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday congratulated Putin for his "remarkable" victory, the Syrian state news agency reported.

"He (al-Assad) offered in his name and that of the Syrian people his sincere congratulations for his remarkable election," SANA said.

According to RUSNEWS.cn, leaders from Commonwealth of Independent States, including Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Ukraine, also sent congratulations to Putin on Monday.

You man contact the writers at huyinan@chinadaily.com.cn and wanghuazhong@chinadaily.com.cn

Zhou Wa in Beijing contributed to this story.

In Moscow