Moscow to close foreign groups by Michael Mainville

Supporters say the bill is designed to prevent foreign interests from interfering in Russian society. Mr. Putin and other officials have accused internationally funded NGOs of being a "fifth column" that seeks to destabilize Russia by creating an opposition movement like those that started Ukraine's Orange Revolution and Georgia's Rose Revolution.

"The purpose of this foreign funding is to undermine the Russian state and attempt to produce another Orange Revolution in the post-Soviet space," said Alexei Ostrovsky, a parliamentarian with the Liberal Democratic Party and one of the bill's sponsors.