President Vladimir Putin has accused Western spies of plotting to undermine his rule and attempting to 'destabilise ' Russia before the elections at a meeting of the Federal Security Service earlier today . President Vladimir Putin has accused Western spies of plotting to undermine his rule and trying to 'destabilise ' Russia before the elections . Public organisations are being used by Western security services to achieve their own goals , the Russian president said at a meeting of the Federal Security Service earlier today . He vowed that Russia would stand firm in the face of what he described as attempts to isolate the country politically and economically following the Ukrainian crisis . In the speech he said : 'The attempts by Western security services to use public , non-governmental organisations and non-political groups for their own benefit , mostly to discredit the authorities and destabilise the situation in Russia , have not stopped . 'Actions are being planned for the time before the election campaigns in 2016 and 2018 . ' Putin approved a law to force non-governmental organisations that engage in 'political activity ' to register with the Justice Ministry as 'foreign agents ' and file a report to officials every quarter in 2012 . Critics claimed it was a move designed to try and silence groups that criticised his human rights record . His new comments mean that Moscow will not relax their scrutiny of non-governmental groups that receive foreign funding . Putin added that he was always open to dialogue with the opposition - but was confident the country would come out as a winner in the standoff against the West . He said : 'The situation around our country will change for the better , but not because we will make concessions , bend down or trifle with someone . 'No one has succeeded in scaring our country or pressuring it and no one will . ' Putin spoke before officials and said he was confident Russia would come out as a winner in the standoff against the West . He added : 'We always listen to constructive criticism of the authorities ' action or lack of action at any level and this dialogue is always useful and simply necessary . 'But it would be pointless to have debates with those who take orders from an outsider , in the interest of another country . ' During the meeting Putin also praised Russian security services for thwarting the work of more than 300 foreign spies and agents , and said it was 'especially important ' to tighten procedures to protect state secrets .
Vowed that Russia would stand firm in standoff against the West . The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was "seriously concerned" by what it called a new escalation of tensions between Moscow and Washington.