Federation Council Authorizes Putin To Start Wars To "protect" Russians Abroad
- 20.05.2026, 13:50
The content of the document adopted at today's meeting has become known.
The Federation Council at a meeting on Wednesday approved a law significantly expanding Vladimir Putin's powers to use the armed forces abroad, writes The Moscow Times.
According to the document, which was unanimously supported by the State Duma last week, Vladimir Putin will now be able to use the army to "protect Russian citizens" in case of "their arrest, detention, criminal and other persecution" abroad.
This refers to cases when Russians are arrested abroad by courts that are "vested with authority without the participation of the Russian Federation," as well as by international judicial bodies that Russia does not recognize, according to an explanatory note to the law.
The corresponding amendments are made to the federal laws "On Citizenship" and "On Defense." In their current version, the president has the right to send troops abroad if countries or international bodies make decisions "contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation" or "the foundations of public order" in Russia.
The conclusion of the Sovfed Committee on Defense and Security emphasizes that the new version provides for "the possibility of engaging the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to perform tasks using weapons not for their intended purpose to protect citizens of the Russian Federation" by decision of the president of the Russian Federation. In addition, by decision of the Russian head of state, the necessary measures for the protection of such citizens will also have to be applied by the state authorities of the Russian Federation within the limits of their authority.
The Russian authorities decided to expand Putin's authority to use the army abroad after a series of warnings from leading NATO states that the Kremlin is preparing for war with one or more European countries.
In the summer, the head of German intelligence BND warned of the risk of a Russian provocation in the Baltic States under the scenario of the annexation of Crimea, and in February, the Danish intelligence agency BND warned of the risk of a Russian provocation in the Baltic States. According to MIVD's assessment, the goal of a possible Russian attack would not be a military defeat of NATO, but "a political split through limited territorial acquisitions." The intelligence agency does not rule out that Moscow will resort to nuclear blackmail to achieve this result.
The "zero phase" of preparations for such a war in Russia has already begun, experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in October. According to ISW, this is evidenced by the reorganization of military districts on the country's western border, the establishment of military bases on the border with Finland, as well as sabotage, interference in the work of REB equipment, jamming of GPS, arson and provocations in the air.