Russian parliament approves law allowing Putin to invade other countries

Published on 14/05/2026 - 15:27 GMT+2

Russia's lawmakers person passed a instrumentality formally authorising the Kremlin to deploy troops overseas to "protect Russian citizens," giving Russian President Vladimir Putin the authorization successful signifier to invade overseas countries.

According to the State Duma documents, the "bill was drafted to support the rights of Russian citizens successful the lawsuit of their arrest, detention, transgression oregon different prosecution pursuant to decisions of overseas courts vested with transgression jurisdiction by different overseas states without Russia’s participation."

Vyacheslav Volodin, seat of the Russian State Duma, said that "Western 'justice' has turned into a repressive instrumentality for dealing with those who disagree with the decisions imposed by European officials."

"In these circumstances, it is important to bash everything to guarantee that our citizens overseas are protected."

Putin utilized a mendacious statement of "protecting Russian-speaking colonisation and Russian citizens" for some his penetration of eastbound Ukraine and the unilateral annexation of Crimea successful 2014, and Moscow’s all-out warfare against Ukraine successful aboriginal 2022.

Andrey Kartapolov, caput of the State Duma Defence Committee, claimed that the projected authorities would "counter the run of rampant russophobia that continues abroad."

The caller measure adds substance to European officials’ warnings that Russia poses a nonstop subject menace to its neighbours.

Moscow’s continued rocket and drone assaults connected Ukraine person already seen Russian weapons breach NATO territory, driving European states to ramp up their defence capabilities successful response.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested successful April that Russia’s online crackdown and each the restrictive measures banning fashionable messengers whitethorn beryllium a prelude to a mobilisation of conscripts and a caller offensive, either against Ukraine oregon the Baltic countries.

Moscow itself issued galore threats to the Baltics since the opening of its full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

Earlier this week, the Swedish authorities said it would propulsion guardant with a program to signifier a caller spy agency targeting overseas threats, portion of a wider rethink prompted by Russia's warfare successful Ukraine.