Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Olympic volunteers in Sochi

They are young, bright and speak good English. Russia has trained 25,000 volunteers to work at the upcoming Sochi Games. President Vladimir Putin, who views the Olympics that start on Feb. 7 as a top priority of his presidency, met with a few dozen volunteers Friday at a biathlon venue in the mountains above Sochi, saying their work "to a greater extent is key to the atmosphere" at the games. After the meeting with volunteers today, Putin said: "We very much hope that you, the volunteers, will create the unique atmosphere for the Games. It is on your ability to create this atmosphere that the mood of the Olympic guests and competitors will depend on. And this is one of the most important things in the Olympic programme."