July 15 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern over escalating violence in the Middle East while parting company over the issue of a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Bush declined to endorse the Russian leader's call for such a cease-fire . . .
``It is absolutely unacceptable to try to reach political goals through the use of force,'' Putin said through a translator at a joint news conference with Bush after their meeting. ``At the same time, we work under the assumption that the use of force should be balanced. In any case, bloodshed should stop as soon as possible.''
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