Putin signs law authorizing use of military force to 'protect Russian citizens' abroad
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 25 signed a bill effectively authorizing him to invade foreign countries under the guise of "protection of Russian citizens" abroad.
The legislation, passed by Russia's State Duma on May 13, enables the Russian president to order troop deployments abroad to "protect" Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, trial, or other perceived persecution by foreign nations and international courts.
The news comes amid mounting warnings by Western officials that Russia may launch an attack against NATO in the coming years, a scenario seen as increasingly realistic since the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian lawmakers have framed the legislation as part of an effort to "counter the campaign of rampant Russophobia that continues abroad."
Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defense Committee, linked the bill to the case of Alexander Butyagin, a Russian archeologist who was detained in Poland for several months over illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Moscow has repeatedly threatened its neighbors under the pretext of protecting Russians living abroad. The same argument has been used as justification for Russian aggression against Ukraine since 2014.
