Putin: US seeking 'absolute invulnerability'

In seven articles since the election campaign began, Putin has outlined, among other things, his plans to reform Russia's troubled political system, to combat the scourge of nationalism, solve Russia's galloping demographic crisis, and rebuild a world-class military machine.

Though there is nothing new in Russia's objections to the Pentagon's missile defense schemes, some experts detect a change of tone that suggests Putin will link any chance of future cooperation to US concessions on this matter.

"Putin says, indirectly, that no red line has yet been crossed and it's still possible to improve relations. But the US must stop insisting on deployment of an anti-missile system in Europe" as the price, says Alexander Konovalov, president of the independent Institute for Strategic Assessments in Moscow.

"Connecting all possible progress in international relations with the anti-missile issue is somewhat surprising. Even Russian cooperation in Afghanistan, where NATO is clearly fighting for Russian interests, appears to get linked to the anti-missile system."

Some experts also see worrisome domestic implications in Putin's attack on the role of what he calls "pseudo-NGOs," which he accuses of aiming to exploit internal difficulties and promote revolution. In December, as a protest movement against electoral fraud began to take to the streets of Russian cities, Putin alleged they were acting on orders from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"There must be a clear division between freedom of speech and normal political activity, on the one hand, and illegal instruments of 'soft power,' on the other," Putin writes. "The activities of 'pseudo-NGOs' and other agencies that try to destabilize other countries with outside support are unacceptable."

Six years ago, in a wave of "anti-terrorist" measures, Putin launched a sweeping crackdown on politically-active NGOs, which winnowed their numbers and limited their ability to operate in Russia.

"Clearly on display in this article are Putin's very strong suspicions toward civil society. He sees foreign-funded NGO's being utilized by unfriendly powers and basically stated that they should not be allowed to exist," says Mr. Suslov. "You don't have to read deeply between the lines to worry that we may see a fresh assault on NGO's after the election. It's a very worrisome signal." 

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