President Vladimir Putin took a hard line against the West in his televised question-and-answer session Thursday, criticizing the U.S.-led war in Iraq and pledging "retaliatory steps" if Washington placed elements of a missile shield in Eastern Europe.
But he said precious little about who might succeed him as president after his term ends in March.
Responding to a Novosibirsk man who cited remarks made several years ago by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to the effect that Siberia had too many natural resources for Russia alone, Putin dismissed the idea as "political erotica" for oil-hungry foreigners.
"I know some politicians play with such ideas in their heads," he said. "In my view, this is the sort of political erotica that might satisfy a person but hardly leads to a positive result."
He emphasized Russia's ability to defend its natural resources -- unlike Iraq, which, he said, was invaded by the United States for its oil reserves. "Russia, thank God, isn' ...
