Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, widely seen as the winner in next year's presidential elections, said on Friday his work was "difficult and nasty."
At a meeting with Women's Forum participants, Putin said that such events were a solace to him.
"Sometimes we have pleasant moments in our difficult and nasty work. This was a hint to today's meeting," Putin said.
"I might be diplomatically incorrect now, but I don't want to leave you now and meet with my [Belarusian] counterpart," the Russian premier said, referring to a session of the Supreme Union Council of the Russia-Belarus union state in which he was to take part.
Shortly after his second presidential term expired in 2008, Putin said he "worked as hard as a galley slave over the past eight years."
