GUBKIN (Belgorod region). July 14. /TASS/. Russia will not wage any war, but will defend its interests in international arena in a civilized manner, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

"We are not going to argue, quarrel or wage a war, but we proceed from the fact that we should not be ignored and our legitimate interests and rights have to be respected," Putin told workers of the Lebedinsky iron-ore mining and processing plant.

Russia is the largest country in the world, with a rather big population, he said.

"We cannot but have our own interests and we will be defending them. However, we will be doing it by all legal means necessary," he said, noting Russia should produce impartial information about itself and its history for this purpose.