Updated 4:50 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, October 1 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said that certain countries are using their dominant role in cyberspace to reach their own economic and political goals.
“We see that individual countries are attempting to use their dominant position in the global information space to achieve not only economic, but also military and political goals. Informational systems are actively used as an instrument of so-called soft power in their own interests,” Putin said during a Security Council meeting.
Putin also said that structures in the United Nations should be used for cybersecurity.
“I believe that one of the platforms to assess risks and develop joint measures in information security for analyzing the legal consequences of decisions that are made should be the UN, its profile groups and specialized structures,” Putin said.
Putin also emphasized that Russia has no plans to limit internet access on its territory or put it under total control, and that Russia will gradually close websites, popularizing violence and extremism, following the international practice of protecting citizens, including youth, from cyberthreats.
Russian President adressed the questions of further development of Russia's segment of the internet, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in May 2014.
Russia has repeatedly called for global cooperation on cybersecurity. In June, Andrei Krutskikh, who holds the office of Vladimir Putin's special representative on international Internet security cooperation, said that as there are no multilateral accords that would regulate this kind of global relations, Russia hopes to reach bilateral cybersecurity agreements with the world's leading powers.