| Russian President Vladimir Putin says he | | | | Soviet Republics deny. |
| wants to put an end to foreign | | | | |
| non-governmental organizations financing | | | | President Putin's comments on foreign NGOs |
| political activities in Russia. His comments | | | | came just hours before he met with the |
| have raised immediate concern about the | | | | visiting Belarus president, Alexander |
| long-term fate of democratization projects in | | | | Lukashenko, the man often referred to in the |
| Russia. | | | | West as Europe's last dictator. |
| | | | |
| President Putin said Russia can not permit | | | | Belarus is often mentioned as another |
| any of its political parties to be financed | | | | possible place where popular protests could |
| from abroad, saying no self-respecting | | | | be sparked, due to the lack of tolerance for |
| country would allow this. | | | | any political opposition or opposition media. |
| | | | |
| Addressing the first Kremlin meeting of the | | | | Before sitting down with his Belarussian |
| Council for Promoting Civil Society | | | | counterpart, President Putin was warned by a |
| Institutions and Human Rights, a body with | | | | Kremlin-connected foreign policy analyst that |
| presidential oversight, Mr. Putin said he had | | | | the human rights situation in Belarus is |
| received reports that money allocated from | | | | worsening. |
| abroad was being used to pay for, what he | | | | |
| called, "sensitive political activities." | | | | The analyst, Sergei Karaganov, who heads the |
| | | | Council for Foreign and Defense Policies, |
| President Putin did not identify which | | | | said many Russians are among those falsely |
| foreign nations allegedly engage in this | | | | accused and jailed in Belarus for minor |
| practice, nor did he specify how such | | | | economic crimes. Mr. Karaganov also |
| activities were sensitive in nature or | | | | criticized moves against Russian media in |
| provide any other proof or details. | | | | Belarus and, what he called, the country's |
| | | | "prevailing culture of fear." |
| The Russian president's comments raised | | | | |
| immediate alarm among civil society and human | | | | Mr. Karaganov said if the situation is |
| rights activists in Russia who say the move, | | | | allowed to continue unchecked, bloody events |
| if carried out, could spell the end of civil | | | | could be provoked by the local population or |
| society and democratization programs in | | | | by those who he said compete with Russia from |
| Russia. | | | | abroad. |
| | | | |
| Russian officials are widely perceived to be | | | | President Putin said he would raise the issue |
| privately nervous about outside support | | | | during his two days of talks with Mr. |
| sparking a people's uprising in Russia, much | | | | Lukashenko, which continue Thursday. |
| like those seen in Georgia, Ukraine, and | | | | |
| Kyrgyzstan. | | | | The two leaders have said the main focus of |
| | | | their talks will be the proposed union |
| Russian, Ukrainian and Kyrgyz politicians | | | | between Russia and Belarus. The plan calls |
| have alleged that U.S. funding of NGOs was | | | | for closer political, economic, and military |
| instrumental in helping opposition leaders | | | | ties between the two predominantly Slavic |
| topple long-time, Soviet-style leaders in | | | | nations, but stops short of creating a single |
| their countries. It is a charge the United | | | | state. |
| States and the new regimes in those former | | | | |