Europe and the United States have reproached the leader of energy-rich Russia for his clampdown on democratic freedoms. European officials have also attacked the Kremlin for increasing control over the press and suppressing the opposition. But polls show a majority of Russians support Putin for the stability and economic growth Russia has enjoyed during his tenure.
"I think such actions [as opposition protests] must be organized within the law, and should not interfere with other people's everyday lives," the Russian leader said after the traditional Russia-EU summit, which was held Friday in Samara on the Volga River. The summit is held every six months.
Western media reported Friday Russian police prevented Garry Kasparov, the leader of the United Civil Front opposition movement and a former world chess champion, from boarding a plane to Samara.
An official spokesman for the police department overseeing the airport confirmed the detention. "We had suspicions that the tickets were fake," he said, adding that opposition leaders had been released and could have boarded later flights if they wanted to.
Putin tried to justify police actions by saying, "Police and law enforcement agencies in Europe also take preventive measures."
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, which currently holds the six-month presidency in the EU, responded by saying the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations in Germany in June would involve massive protests and that there were no plans to prevent such demonstrations.
"The G8 summit ... will be accompanied by thousands of peaceful demonstrators, and there is no concern that these demonstrations will be banned," Merkel said.
Putin in turn referred to anti-G8 demonstrations across Germany earlier this month when police in Hamburg had to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse about 2,000 protesters. Chancellor Merkel responded by saying: "Police must take measures when protesters apply force."
Rights groups, the opposition and journalists have accused police in Russia of abusing their authority and violating the law during the dispersal of the unsanctioned rally in Moscow and St. Petersburg in April, which demanded the president's resignation. Official reports said police detained 420 people in the two cities. Russian authorities denied any wrongdoing.
Putin, who has led Russia for seven years, said people in power were responsible for how they handle protests and promised that those who want to organize protests in Russia would have the opportunity to do so.
The Russian leader brought up another sensitive issue - the death of an ethnic Russian in Estonia, now an EU member, during protests against the removal of a Soviet monument in April. Putin said it was "murder." Estonian police denied any involvement.
Russian authorities have expressed serious concerns about Estonia sanctioning SS marches, which Moscow sees as support for Nazism. Tallinn responded by saying that it sees no difference between Soviet and Nazi occupation.
Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission who also attended the summit, stood up for Estonia, saying no EU country backed Nazism, but condemned any manifestations in favor of Nazi or neo-Nazi regimes.
