The State Duma of Russia on Wednesday adopted in the second and third readings a law that expands the president's powers to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation outside the country. Amendments are being made to the federal laws "On Citizenship" and "On Defense."
According to the document, President Vladimir Putin will be able to deploy the army for the "protection of Russian citizens" abroad in cases of their arrest, detention, or criminal or other prosecution by foreign entities.
The explanatory note specifies that this pertains, in particular, to situations where Russians are detained or tried by bodies "empowered without the participation of the Russian Federation," as well as by international judicial instances that Russia does not recognize.
The law was adopted unanimously: 384 deputies voted for it, with no votes against and no abstentions. The State Duma stated that the document is aimed at "enhancing the protection of Russian citizens from unlawful actions by unfriendly foreign states."
Previously, existing legislation already allowed the president to send troops abroad if international decisions "contradict the interests of the Russian Federation" or threaten "the foundations of public order" in the country. The new law expands the list of grounds for the use of the army.
The adoption of the document occurs against the backdrop of statements from Western intelligence agencies about the risk of further escalation from the Kremlin. In particular, the intelligence agencies of Germany, Denmark, the USA, and the Netherlands had previously warned about the possible preparation of Russia for a conflict with NATO, including scenarios of provocations in the Baltic States and threats of limited territorial seizures using political and nuclear pressure.
