Last weekend former KGB officers and Russian president Vladimir Putin’s critics, Oleg Kalugin and Alexander Litvinenko, circulated a statement to express their regret at not being able to participate in a meeting that was to be held on March 14, the day of Putin's reelection as the president of Russia. What is it all about?

Let us start from the beginning. Critics of the Russian government who come on my radio show, “The People's Wave,” usually complain about the Kremlin's penchant to control media. Major shows on modern Russian T.V. comically resemble their Soviet predecessors, and American observers are already spitefully calling them: "All Putin all the time.”

Still, government public relations people like Mikhail Gusman, Assistant General Director of TASS, who took part in one of my shows, tried to prove that there is no censorship – and will never be any – in Russia. He almost had me convinced, but then I found out that Russian authorities tried to control and censor not only media in Russia, but also Russian-language media abroad.

A New York Russian-language radio station was pressured by Russian government's representatives, who were displeased by the fact that the radio advertised the above-mentioned meeting with President Putin's opponents. I don't know if such things happened during Soviet times, but the fact that it has happened here and now, turns a new and frightening page in the history of the relations between Russian-speaking immigrants and their homeland, one which they preferred never to have turned.

The meeting with former KGB general Kalugin and former FSB [Federal Security Service, the modern version of KGB – LM] lieutenant colonel Litvinenko, who was granted political asylum in Great Britain, was to take place at Lincoln High School, located not far from Brighton Beach. During elections in Russia the school serves as the poll-site for Russian-speaking immigrants. Kalugin was to arrive from Washington, DC, where he is head of the Espionage Museum, while Litvinenko was to arrive from London.

The meeting was organized by former Byelorussian journalist Yaroslav Beklemishev –he’s persona non grata in his homeland and was granted political asylum in the United States. Beklemishev works at New Life, a Russian-language radio station that up to last Friday was advertising the forthcoming meeting. A well-known impresario, Lev Trakhtenberg, helped Beklemishev by renting the Lincoln High School conference room for $2,500, which seats 1,500. The $20 entrance fee included a copy of "Russia Blown Up," a documentary that was financed by a well-known Russian mogul and Putin opponent, Boris Beresovsky.

Kalugin and Litvinenko were invited to talk to the immigrant community and answer their questions. Given that they are critical of the Russian government, certainly they wouldn’t be pushing for Putin. According to some New Life's insiders, who preferred to remain anonymous, the radio station received calls from the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, and Russian Consulate General in New York. Both entities expressed their discontent with the ad for the meeting with Putin's opponents, which was to take place on the very day of the presidential elections in Russia.

On the same day, New Life received a fax from U.S. representatives of Aeroflot, the Russian airline, who informed them of their decision to cancel Aeroflot ads on the station – the ads represent tens of thousands of dollars a year for New Life. As a result of this heavy-handed pressure, the station, which allegedly is experiencing financial difficulties, canceled the ad for the meeting. Aeroflot, informed about these measures by one of the New Life's managers, answered: "We will consider renewing our contract with the New Life."

"In Russia they have tried for many years to shut my mouth," Litvinenko said. "Now I have been granted political asylum in England, and as a free citizen I have the right to tell everything I consider necessary. That is, to tell the truth without being afraid of doing it openly. I consider the Russian Embassy's actions a human rights violation. They continue to harass me. Clearly, the diplomats are not doing it; the secret service is."

One of New Life's owners, Nathan Lieberman, refused to comment on these events, saying: "I think it’s not smart to discuss the internal affairs of our company." Yevgeniy Kharishko, the Russian Embassy press attaché, was of the same opinion. "Everyday our embassy makes contact with numerous organizations, American, international, governmental, non-governmental, media and others," he said. "These contacts are confidential.”

Aeroflot did not return my call.

"I don't think that any pro-Russia agency has the right to influence American media. They are private companies and express independent opinions," said Yaroslav Beklemishev. "I can’t understand why the Russian Embassy and the Russian Consulate in New York put pressure on an independent radio station like New Life."

Personally, I think that the Russian diplomats' action were senseless. It can have a negative influence on Russian relations with America. They’re senseless because Putin's victory is guaranteed. Neither Kalugin's nor Litvinenko's propaganda can change this immutable fact, even if both gentlemen decide to live in Lincoln High School and speak against Putin till doomsday.

They can also have negative repercussion on Russian-American relations because, according to the law, Russian-speaking immigrant media is as American as the New York Times or CBS. In essence, foreign diplomats tried to pressure an American radio company, blackmailing it by using the state-owned airline to threaten to cancel its ads.

Perhaps initially the American public will not notice this cavalry attack on the Russian language radio: after all it is just an immigrant community radio station. But if such attacks continue and become commonplace, Americans will realize that something inappropriate is taking place and it will provoke anger with Russia.

I don't think the Russian Embassy wishes for such an outcome. Besides, pressuring immigrant radio compromises the notion of the "United Russian informational space," which the "metropolis" and its supporters in America actively promote.

Finally, I am concerned with the welfare of Aeroflot. What if immigrants become outraged with what happened and cease to use the airline? Many of us left Russia to avoid such attacks on the press.

Explaining their decision not to take part in the Russian election-day meeting, Kalugin and Litvinenko stated that they do not want to endanger "the welfare and life of people" who would gather to meet former KGB officers and now opponents of the Russian government. The Russian diplomats have achieved their goal. Isn't it a pity?