You're reading: Putin: Foreign powers are paying opposition politicians in bid to influence Russia

MOSCOW, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that foreign powers were seeking to influence Russia's Dec. 4 parliamentary election and a March presidential vote in which he confirmed he will run.

"We know that these days, in the run-up to the State Duma election, the presidential election, representatives of some foreign countries are gathering those they are paying money to, so-called grant recipients, to instruct them and assign work in order to influence the election campaign themselves," Putin said after accepting his party’s presidential nomination.

He said any such activity was a "wasted effort, as we say money thrown at the wind, firstly because Judas is not the most respected biblical character in our country, secondly, because it would be better to pay off their debt with this money and stop pursuing inefficient and costly economic policies."