Putin: Israel has goals other than troops' return

Russian President Vladimir Putin said early Sunday he believed Israel was pursuing wider goals in its military campaign than the return of abducted soldiers. "However complicated the questions are, maximum efforts must be applied to resolve the situation in a peaceful way and I think all efforts have not been exhausted," Putin said. "However, it is our impression that aside from seeking to return the abducted soldiers, Israel is pursuing wider goals," the Russian president told a midnight news conference after a dinner opening the summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations. He did not elaborate.