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Russia has ordered a key US agency to shut down. President Vladimir Putin continues to crackdown on a protest movement that he claims was devised by the US State Department. The Russian Government has given the US Agency for International Development (USAid) until 1 October to shut its office in Moscow. "While USAid's physical presence in Russia will come to an end, we remain committed to supporting democracy, human rights, and the development of a more robust civil society in Russia," The Guardian quoted State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland, as saying, in a statement. According to the paper, in addition to funding health and environment projects, USAid mainly focuses on supporting groups that promote democracy and human rights in Russia . The move by Putin's government appeared to be the latest salvo in the Kremlin's efforts to squeeze a protest movement largely borne of civil society's efforts to highlight growing government abuses, the paper said. "We regret this decision by the Russian government. We lament the fact that we will not be able to do the work that we've been proud to do. It's a difficult day," a senior Obama administration official said. He also remained defiant about US funding of civil society in Russia , saying the order to close the agency "doesn't mean we've changed our policy of supporting the kinds of actors USAid has supported". Officials in Washington see the Russian move as part of the continuing war of attrition by Moscow against groups clamouring for greater democracy. They say it has been clear for some time that the Russian government has been irritated by USAid's support for an array of pro-democracy organisations, civic society groups and human rights activists, the paper said. However, USAid's 13 diplomats most likely will have to leave the country, while the fate of the 60 locals that work for the office is currently unclear, it added.

Russia orders shutdown of USAid in Moscow