MOSCOW (AP) β Russian President Vladimir Putin says security at the 2018 World Cup “must be effective but not intrusive.”
Putin met with FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Tuesday.
Russian security was tight at the Sochi Olympics this year, though it was not immediately clear whether Putin’s comments would signal a different approach.
Security concerns for the World Cup will likely center on possible terrorist attacks by insurgents from Russia’s North Caucasus, and perhaps incidents linked to the Ukraine crisis.
Putin cited the Olympics as a major influence in preparing for the World Cup, Russia’s first major soccer tournament.
He says drawing on that experience, all World Cup preparations will be completed “on schedule” and “to the very highest standards.”
