Post #5923

🇷🇺#Russia: Russia is advancing a new legislation that would allow it to deploy troops abroad under the pretext of protecting Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, or criminal prosecution. The bill, which has passed its first reading in the State Duma and must still go through three additional approvals, is intended to expand existing laws that permit the use of military force overseas to defend Russia's "national interests". A similar justification was used by the Kremlin during its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under the proposed changes, the Russian government could authorize military deployments in response to legal actions taken against Russian citizens by foreign courts or international bodies (ICC), which Moscow does not recognise. Analysts warn that the broad and vague language of the bill could pave the way for future military interventions in regions with significant Russian populations, including NATO member states such as Estonia. (via The Times)