L. King: As for U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s statement that Russian democracy has disappeared and that the government is run by security services. What is your response to the U.S. Secretary of Defense’s statement?

Vladimir Putin: I know Mr. Gates, I have met him several times. I think he is a very nice person and not a bad specialist. But, as you know, Mr. Gates was one of the heads of the Central Intelligence Administration of the United States, and today he is the Secretary of Defense. If you are the best expert on democracy in the United States, I congratulate you.