The Russian President, Mr Vladimir Putin this morning dismissed reports that Germany and the United States had agreed to withhold financial aid from Moscow, calling them a provocation.
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Russian President, Mr Vladimir Putin
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Two German magazines last week quoted a diplomatic cable on the minutes of confidential talks between German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and US President George W Bush, in which they agreed to withhold aid as long as vast amounts of capital continue to flow out of Russia.
"As for the publication itself, this is a provocation aimed at destroying the positive trend in relations between Russia and the EU and between Russia and certain members of the EU," Putin told a news conference after meeting visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.