Nov 10, 2009
Russia can now “legally” invade other countries
Apparently, Russia now officially has the legal right to protect its citizens in another country’s territory (well, internally, since according to international law it is quite forbidden). I thought they already claimed they had that right after the August war of 2008?
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 9 Nov.’09 / 17:46
Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, signed into law amendments expending legal ground for the use of the Russian armed forces abroad, the Kremlin said on November 9.
According to the Kremlin, the law on defense envisages use of the Russian armed forces anywhere in the world to protect Russian citizens from armed attack; also in case of armed attack on Russian military units located outside Russia; when a foreign country is attacked and this country requests for Russia’s help and also for anti-piracy measures.
Medvedev said on November 5 that Russia would use its armed forces abroad only in exceptional circumstances.
“Such decisions are absolutely extraordinary and will be made only in case of extreme emergency,” he was quoted by the Russian media sources. “Our citizens should be protected in any part of the globe and feel that the state protects them.”
Well, we all know why they created this law, and I honestly think Ukraine, the Baltic States, the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia should be worried by this step (although on the other hand, not having this law did not stop the Kremlin for using this argument backing invasion before…).
The protection of minorities should be an international responsibility. But larger powers have used force in the past. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 causing the deaths of 6,000 people and expelling 200,000 Greek Cypriots from the north. As far as I know NATO stayed silent. The EU, after many years of doing nothing, reacted by opening membership negotiations with Turkey in 2004.