The legislation enables the Russian president to order troop deployments abroad to "protect" Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, trial, or other perceived persecution by foreign nations and international courts.

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has signed a law that allows him to deploy Russian troops to other countries on the pretext of "protecting the rights of Russian citizens".

The legislation enables the Russian president to order troop deployments abroad to "protect" Russian citizens facing arrest, detention, trial, or other perceived persecution by…