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Putin is escalating the war to a global scale by successively adopting, over the past year, new legal norms (read here) that assign two additional functions to Russian military intervention:
A. To add the goal of combating Western ideologies to armed aggression, aiming to align the entire anti-globalist movement worldwide and recruit supporters regardless of nationality;
B. To allow the incorporation of any part of a country (or any conquered country) into the Russian Federation, regardless of its location on the planet.
On October 5, 2023, at the Valdai Forum in Sochi, Vladimir Putin stated: "The crisis in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict," but rather "about the principles that underpin the new international order." This declaration signals the intention for Russia to shift from plundering a neighboring country to initiating a global revolution.
• The Definition of "Russian Citizen": An Anti-Globalist Citizen
The decree from few days ago (August 19, 2024) granting the right of residence in Russia to foreign citizens who oppose Western ideologies reflects an expansion of the concept of "Russian" beyond strict ethnic or national criteria, including individuals who align with the political and ideological values promoted by Russia. Russia is no longer just the name of a country but of an ideology. The definition of "Russian" is no longer merely ethnic or national but has become political in nature. Russian, in this sense, means anti-globalist.
The decree does not explicitly state that Russian policy is anti-globalist, but it uses terms such as "destructive neoliberal ideology" and "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values" to describe the framework within which it offers residence rights to foreign citizens who oppose the ideologies in their home countries. The language reflects Russia's official stance against certain aspects of globalization, particularly those associated with Western neoliberalism.
However, a logical question arises: if there is an identity between the notions of "anti-globalism" and "Russian," should globalist Russians lose their citizenship? The question serves only to highlight that Russian legislation has simplified the issue to the point of incoherence.
• Anti-Globalism: 30-40% of Global Political Movements
Anti-globalism represents a broad political movement that opposes certain aspects of globalization, particularly those related to neoliberal economics, the influence of transnational corporations, and the dominance exerted by global institutions. Despite significant regional and ideological variations, anti-globalist movements, taken as a whole, have gained considerable weight, accounting for approximately 30-40% of the world's political movements.
• 1. Radical Left Movements:
• 2. Nationalist and Sovereigntist Movements:
• 3. Anti-Imperialist and Anti-Colonial Movements:
• 4. Populist Movements:
• 5. Conservative Religious Movements:
• Differences Between Revolution, Robbery, and Terrorism
Although these movements share a common critique of globalization, their motives and objectives can vary significantly, ranging from the radical left to nationalist right, raising doubts about their ability to coordinate unified actions. Some focus on environmental protection and social rights, others on national sovereignty and protectionism, and still others on resisting Western cultural and political influence.
Moscow presents itself as the leader of anti-globalism and attempts to expand its base among those dissatisfied with the current world order. However, compared to this image, the reality reveals two major differences:
a) Russia is primarily interested in regaining its status as a global leader, which it lost when the socialist bloc disintegrated, the Soviet Union dissolved, and it proved inept in the global economic competition;
b) The discontented masses around the world who claim anti-globalist intentions are often impoverished populations for whom political subtleties are mere trivialities. As soon as a conflict escalates, they become interested in simple anarchy, without which robbery would be punished.
The chances that a deceitful leader could turn robbery into a revolution are theoretically slim. However, recruiting followers in enemy countries has the potential to create a network of individuals loyal to Russia, who could be used in various ways in international conflicts. Nothing prevents their organization into terrorist cells during their training in Russia while staying there to obtain Russian citizenship (the decree does not state that they must live there long-term).
• Russia's Borders Have No Limits
Members of ethnic or national groups from other states who receive Russian citizenship may be considered "Russians" by Moscow, which could lead to political and territorial complications. For example, in the Donbas regions (Donetsk and Luhansk) in eastern Ukraine, Russia supported pro-Russian separatist groups that declared independent republics in 2014. Russia began offering Russian citizenship to residents of these regions starting in 2019, through a rapid and simplified process. In 2022, Russia officially used the presence of Russian citizens and ethnic Russians in Donbas as a pretext for launching the "special military operation" against Ukraine, which the Kremlin claimed was conducted to protect the Russian-speaking population from "genocide."
This is a model of action. Under recent Russian legislation, it is possible for members of ethnic or national groups from other states to be considered "Russians" if they meet certain criteria related to cultural, linguistic, or ideological identity. This is part of a broader strategy to expand Russian influence and consolidate a national identity that transcends traditional borders, national origin, and even the Russian language (which is not considered a necessary but merely sufficient condition). And since the legislation granting Russian citizenship is not limited to neighboring territories, it follows that the tactic Russia used to annex Donbas can be applied anywhere in the world.
During a televised award ceremony for geography students in 2016, Vladimir Putin asked a nine-year-old boy where Russia's borders end, to which the boy replied, "at the Bering Strait." Putin responded, "Russia's border ends nowhere." Then he said he was joking. Well, he was lying. He wasn't joking.
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