Russia accuses US aid agency of influencing elections

Russia has explained its decision to put an end to the U.S. Agency for International Development’s two decades of work in Russia by saying the U.S. government agency was using its money to influence elections. The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that Russia has demanded USAID leave the country, a culmination of years of resentment over what Moscow sees as American interference aimed at undermining President Vladimir Putin’s hold on power. “We are talking about attempts through the issuing of grants to affect the course of political processes, including elections on various levels, and institutions of civil society,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Wednesday.