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 . Praised officials for thwarting work of more than 300 foreign spies .