Putin warns schemes still ongoing to put Russia under external control

Efforts are still ongoing to weaken Russia and place it under external control, as can be seen in the case of some former Soviet republics, President Vladimir Putin said in the opening remarks at a session of the Federal Security Service (FSB) board on Wednesday.

"We are up against the so-called policy of containing Russia. This is not about competition, which is a natural thing for international relations. This is about a consistent and quite aggressive policy aimed at disrupting our development, slowing it down, creating problems along the outer perimeter, triggering domestic instability, undermining the values that unite Russian society, and ultimately to weaken Russia and put it under external control, just the way we are witnessing it transpire in some countries in the post-Soviet space," the president stressed.

The president emphasized that he was not exaggerating facts. "In fact, you don’t need to be convinced of this as you yourselves know it perfectly well, perhaps even better than anybody else," he went on to say. "It is enough to familiarize oneself with pubic strategic documents and revealing statements from politicians in a number of countries. They make no bones about their unfriendly attitude towards Russia, towards a number of other independent, sovereign centers of global development," Putin noted.

Putin noted that the activity of 72 career staffers and more than 400 agents of foreign secret services was foiled in Russia last year. "The activity of 72 career staffers and 423 agents of foreign secret services was thwarted in Russia last year," TASS cited him as saying.

"It is important to continue to enhance the protection of confidential information and to prevent leaks of classified military information and data about cutting-edge technologies and research and development by our research centers and enterprises of the defense-industrial complex," Putin told FSB personnel. "As you understand, there is a great deal for us to protect."

Putin believes that terrorist challenges and threats do not decrease. "We see that the level of global threats such as terrorism, trans-border crime and cybercrime does not decrease," the head of state said.

He particularly emphasized that issues of national security and protection of citizens from internal and external threats are a central preoccupation of the country’s leadership and the top priority.

At the same time, the Russian leader stressed that this year the board meeting is conducted in a reduced format. "Yet this doesn't make our event today any less important; unfortunately, these are demands of the current epidemiological situation," Putin said, addressing the FSB staff. He thanked them for professional and efficient work and readiness to resolve all issues under any conditions.