The outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin is to adopt a less bellicose tone towards NATO at the organization's pending gathering.

In what could be the Russian leader's last foreign trip in the presidential capacity, Putin is to let go of his 'bellicose rhetoric' at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's three-day summit this week in Bucharest, Romania, Moscow Times reported.

The newspaper also said Putin planned to embark on 'meaningful dialogue' on security and ink a political declaration with the NATO-Russia Council at the summit which begins Wednesday.

According to Russia's NATO envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, the declaration is to encompass all topics of cooperation.

"There will be a talk about the philosophy and basis of partnership," the envoy added. "If we are partners, we should start to jointly solve problems in the area of security."

Ukraine and Georgia hope NATO will consider putting them on path for membership. Putin intends to counter the bids with an offer to back NATO in Afghanistan.

Unlike the US, Russia has been raising objections to the membership bid arguing it "violated the basic principle of democracy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted, adding the Ukrainian public and Georgia's separatist republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia had frowned on the attempt.

HN/BGH