Russian Intelligence Chief: We Will Prevent Foreign Interference in Elections

The head of external intelligence for President Vladimir Putin remarked in a video clip released today, Friday, that Russian intelligence officials must exert every effort to prevent any foreign interference in the presidential elections scheduled for March. This month, Putin announced in comments to soldiers that he would run for election, a move that will likely allow him to remain in power for at least another six years. Opposition politicians claim that the elections are merely a "fig leaf for democracy" to cover what they perceive as a corrupt dictatorship in Russia under Putin's rule. Putin's supporters deny this, pointing to some independent polls showing him with approval ratings exceeding 80 percent. They argue that Putin has restored order and some of the influence lost by Russia during the chaos following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.