As he denounced opponents who received financial assistance from abroad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow would not allow democracy to be imposed from the outside.

As he denounced opponents who received financial assistance from abroad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow would not allow democracy to be imposed from the outside.

Putin said in his first annual state-of-the-nation address since he returned to the Kremlin for a third term that it should be illegal for anyone who receives money from abroad to be a politician in Russia.

The Russian strongman also encouraged Russian families to have a third child to reverse its long term demographic decline.
"Direct or indirect outside interference in our internal political processes is unacceptable," Putin said in his speech in the Kremlin.

"People who receive money from abroad for their political activities -- most likely serving foreign national interests -- cannot be politicians in the Russian Federation."

Putin also said parliament should introduce legislation to "limit the rights" of officials and politicians to have foreign bank accounts and shares.
He said there was a need for change in Russia while warning that dialogue was only possible with those acting within the law.

"A civilized dialogue is only possible with those political forces who put forward, justify and formulate their demands in a civilized manner and defend them within the bounds of the law," Putin added.
"Changing, modernizing a political system is a natural and even necessary process," he said in the one-and-a-half hour speech.