Putin signs law allowing Russian armed forces to 'protect' citizens abroad by force

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a measure permitting him to deploy Russian armed forces to foreign countries under the pretext of protecting the rights of Russian citizens abroad. The move has significant implications for neighbouring states and regions with Russian-speaking minorities.

Russian President [Vladimir Putin](/politicians/vladimir-putin) signed into law on Monday a measure granting the Kremlin authority to send Russian armed forces into foreign countries, framing such deployments as protection of Russian citizens' rights abroad.

The law effectively provides a legal basis for military intervention in sovereign nations wherever Russia claims its citizens' interests are at stake. Critics and international observers have warned that this kind of legislation could be weaponised to justify aggression against neighbouring states, particularly those — such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — that are home to significant Russian-speaking communities.

The Kremlin has previously used similar arguments about the protection of Russian speakers as justification for military action in Ukraine and Georgia. This new legislation formalises that pretext into domestic Russian law, giving Putin a broad and flexible mandate to order troop deployments without requiring further parliamentary approval in each individual case.

NATO member states have long regarded Russia's claimed right to protect compatriots abroad as one of the most serious security threats in the region. Estonian security officials have consistently highlighted this so-called "compatriot policy" as a potential trigger for hybrid or conventional military action against Baltic states. The new law is expected to intensify those concerns further.