Putin: Russia Reduces Its Dependence On Oil

Russia is successfully weaning itself off oil revenues, President Vladimir Putin said today during an annual end-of-the-year news conference, as quoted by RT. "This means that, while we're not completely there, we are nonetheless starting to get off the so-called oil and gas needle," Putin said, adding, "If someone still wants to consider us as a gas station, then this has no real basis." According to Investopedia, Russia's oil and gas exports account for 60 percent of total exports, and revenues from the oil and gas represent about 30 percent…