Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview published on Monday in German newspaper Bild

via Reuters

  • Russia needs to reduce its non-oil and gas deficit, which shows the gap between revenues and expenditures once revenues from oil and gas are excluded
  • "I believe that our non-oil and gas deficit has risen to a very dangerous level. So now we are forced to lower it. And this is healthy"

Much more at the Reuters article, here ... much of it about defence issues.