Russian wary of revolutions

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MOSCOW, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Members of the Russian opposition community may be working to inspire revolution in the country, a former spy said.

A series of revolutions in former republics Georgia and Ukraine during the early part of the 2000s brought in new governments that upset status quo relationships with Moscow.

Russia has seen growing frustration with President Vladimir Putin's hold on power. He was re-elected to a third non-consecutive term as president this year in elections considered by some to be fraudulent.

Nikolai Patrushev, a former director of the successor to the KGB, was quoted by Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti as saying there are "no ground" for so-called color revolutions in Russia.

"Some members of the opposition and radical organizations have tried to use citizens' political activities to provoke mass disorder," he said.

The color revolutions, he added, were usually supported by foreign elements. Though he provided few specifics, he said the Kremlin's efforts to curtail work in Russia funded by the U.S. State Department were "effective."

Moscow this year called on the U.S. Agency for International Development to close its offices after Putin said the agency was meddling in Russian political affairs.