Putin: EU can resolve debt crisis

BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged major European nations to help countries severely hit by the continent's debt crisis, saying it is primarily a political problem which the EU is capable of handling if it shows enough commitment.

"So far the European debt problem is still a political problem, not purely an economic one," Putin told Chinese media on Tuesday evening at the Diaoyutai Guest House after talks with Premier Wen Jiabao, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The Russian leader ended his two-day China visit on Wednesday after meeting President Hu Jintao. It was his first trip abroad since he announced plans to return to the Russian presidency.