MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that authorizes the use of the Russian army to protect Russian citizens convicted or arrested by foreign courts or international tribunals, said a document published on the legal acts portal on Monday.

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…