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From The Times
February 1, 2006

Putin wants to keep 'spies' close

By Jeremy Page

Mr Putin told his annual news conference that he regretted the “spy rock” affair, and hoped that it would not damage relations.

But the former KGB spy took obvious pleasure in answering a question live on television about whether the four men would be expelled, as is usual in such cases. “Let them keep their seats at the intelligence station. It will be pleasant for us to know that we control these people,” he said with a smile.

Anthony Brenton, the British Ambassador in Moscow, repudiated Mr Putin’s claims that restrictions on the funding of NGOs, some of his harshest critics, were justified. One of the alleged spies is accused of authorising grants for at least a dozen NGOs.

“We are proud of the work we are doing,” Mr Brenton said in a radio interview. “We are helping Russians to guarantee their own rights.”

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