Are they preparing for a new war? A bill has been submitted to the State Duma granting Putin the right to deploy troops to other countries to protect Russians
20 March 11:18
The Russian government has submitted to the State Duma a bill drafted by the Russian Ministry of Defense that expands Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s powers to deploy the Armed Forces abroad to “protect Russians” in the event of their arrest or criminal prosecution by foreign courts. The document has been published on the lower house’s website.
This is reported by [Kommersant] with reference to Russian propaganda media.
According to the bill, this applies to situations where Russian citizens are arrested or detained abroad by courts “endowed with authority without the participation of the Russian Federation,” as well as by international judicial bodies that Moscow does not recognize. In such cases, the head of state will be able to decide on the “extraterritorial” use of the army to protect compatriots.
Current legislation already permits the use of troops abroad to repel an attack on Russian military formations, defend another state at its request, protect citizens from armed attack, and combat piracy. The new bill amends the laws “On Defense” and “On Citizenship,” expanding the grounds for military intervention.
According to Verba Legal partner Dmytro Malbin, the initiative is directly linked to the European Union’s plans to establish a special tribunal to try Russian leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The Council of Europe announced the creation of such a body in the summer of 2025, and by fall, 26 EU countries had confirmed their participation. In January 2026, the European Union allocated the first €10 million for its operation. It is expected that the court, modeled after the Nuremberg Tribunal, will bring at least 20 individuals to justice.
The bill was submitted to the State Duma amid a series of warnings from NATO and European intelligence agencies about Russia’s possible preparations for a conflict with one or more alliance countries. In the summer of 2025, the head of Germany’s BND intelligence agency warned of the risk of provocations in the Baltic states following the Crimean scenario, and in February, Danish intelligence stated that Russia was capable of launching a large-scale war in Europe within five years. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed with these assessments, and the Chief of the French General Staff, General Fabien Mandon, called for preparations for a confrontation with Russia in the next 3–4 years.
According to experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the “zero phase” of such preparations in Russia has already begun: military districts are being reorganized, bases are being established on the border with Finland, and acts of sabotage, GPS jamming, and other provocations are being recorded in Europe.
