“We are pursuing a peaceful policy without any exaggeration or loud words, and we would like to see the world resort to force as little as possible when trying to settle complicated and even controversial international conflicts. (…)
“Our biggest problem today is the economic and financial divide in society and the fact that a large number of people still live below the poverty line. Still, over the past years we have reduced the number of people living below the poverty line by half. I believe that, all in all, this is not a bad result.”
Vladimir Putin At a meeting with chief editors of leading foreign media outlets
