Russia’s State Duma has passed a law allowing the president to deploy armed forces abroad to protect Russian citizens, significantly expanding the Kremlin’s legal authority for overseas military operations.
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said the legislation was introduced to protect Russian citizens abroad in cases involving arrest, detention, or what Moscow considers politically motivated prosecution by foreign governments.
Volodin sharply criticised Western judicial systems, accusing them of acting as political instruments for their governments and targeting individuals who oppose European officials.
“In these circumstances, it is important to do everything to ensure that our citizens abroad are protected,” Volodin said.
The legislation marks a major expansion of presidential military powers amid Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
Head of the State Duma Defence Committee Andrey Kartapolov said the bill would also serve as a deterrent against what he described as rising anti-Russian sentiment globally.
Russia’s war with Ukraine began in February 2022 after Moscow launched what it called a “special military operation,” a conflict that has since evolved into a prolonged full-scale war.