A bill has been introduced into the Duma that would allow Putin to send troops to countries where Russians are being persecuted.

A draft law has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation allowing, by decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the use of formations of the Russian Armed Forces to protect Russian citizens subject to persecution abroad. Previously, the document was approved by the government commission on legislative activities.

According to the accompanying note, we are talking about decisions in the field of legal proceedings “by other foreign states without the participation of the Russian Federation and international judicial bodies whose competence is not based on an international treaty of the Russian Federation or a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.”

The current federal law “On Security” allows the President of the Russian Federation to take measures to protect Russia and its citizens in the event that foreign or international or interstate bodies make decisions or carry out actions that are contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation or the fundamentals of public law and order of the Russian Federation.

The law makes the Baltic states bordering Russia especially vulnerable, which Russia accuses of persecuting its citizens. Several months ago, German intelligence services warned about the possibility of a Crimean-style provocation followed by a military invasion.