Putin: Poll monitors were pressured

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday accused the United States of meddling in his country's Dec. 2 elections, The New York Times reported.

"Their goal is the delegitimization of the elections. But they will not achieve even this goal," Putin said of the United States while speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg.

Putin said election monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe canceled plans to observe parliamentary balloting after they were pressured by the U.S. State Department in Washington, the Times reported.

The U.S. embassy in Moscow had no immediate comment while a spokeswoman for the election monitors called Putin's accusation "nonsense," the Times reported.

Earlier this month, the monitoring group announced it was canceling its mission in Russia because Putin's government had failed to provide travel visas.