Putin signed off a decree on the new “Strategy for Countering Extremism in the Russian Federation”, which for the first time introduced the concept of “Russophobia”.
This was reported by Radio Liberty with reference to the official portal of legal information, Ukrinform saw.
In the new strategy, “Russophobia” is defined as “an unfriendly, biased, hostile attitude toward Russian citizens, the Russian language and culture”. In addition, discriminatory actions by the authorities of states unfriendly to Russia are laid down as Russophobia.
According to the definition put forward by the strategy, extremism is used by certain states in hybrid warfare and interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Among the sources of extremism, Ukraine is mentioned, where, according to the Russian authorities, “radical neo-Nazi formations” are operating, which threaten Russia.
The document calls the Russian aggression in Ukraine the “Ukraine crisis”, which is a tool for inciting Russophobic sentiments and a hybrid war against Russia. The document calls the elimination of threats from the territory of Ukraine a key task.
Among the factors of destabilization, uncoordinated protest actions that “deliberately” turn into mass riots are noted, as well as the illegal activities by migrants and the malign operations of international non-governmental organizations.
The document mentions persons who travel abroad to participate in extremist activities, as well as “to undergo training in centers located in unfriendly states, whose activities bear signs of extremism”.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, over 3,000 persons were added to the list of “terrorists and extremists” in Russia in the past year.
Source: Putin approves new strategy for "countering extremism"
