Russian Duma Approves Law Authorizing Putin to Deploy Troops Abroad to Protect Russian Citizens

Russia State Duma approved legislation on May 13 by a vote of 381-0 authorizing the Russian president to order troop deployments into foreign countries to protect Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, or persecution. Duma Speaker Volodin framed the law as defense against Western justice systems, but critics note Putin previously used the same protect-Russians rationale to justify the 2014 Crimea annexation and the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The law effectively codifies a legal pretext for future military interventions in neighboring states.