Putin signs decree on Russian identity in occupied territories until 2036.

According to ТСН: President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree requiring the Kremlin to significantly increase the number of people identifying as Russians and speaking Russian in Ukraine's territories currently controlled by Russia by 2036.

Contents of the document

The decree titled 'National Policy Strategy of Russia until 2036' stipulates that at least 95% of the country's population, including the occupied territories of Ukraine, must consider themselves part of the 'Russian civic identity'.

The document asserts that the 'historical unity' between Russia and Ukraine, in their view, promotes the restoration of 'Russian territories'. It emphasizes the need to 'strengthen the Russian language' and 'counteract the influence of unfriendly states'.

The situation after the invasion

According to reports, after the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the attitude of Ukrainians towards Russia sharply deteriorated, and the use of the Russian language in Ukraine significantly decreased.

The Kremlin has stated that the 'annexation' of portions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions creates conditions for the 'restoration of unity of historical territories'. Although control over these regions is not complete, the new strategy emphasizes demographic and cultural integration of these areas into Russia.

Monitoring the implementation of the strategy

This strategy, starting in January, defines monitoring the level of 'Russian self-awareness' as one of the key criteria for the Kremlin's success.

It is worth noting that The Guardian points out that

the leak of the 28-point plan served as an ideal scenario for Putin.

This decree is part of the overall Kremlin policy to strengthen control over the occupied territories of Ukraine. In the context of growing tensions in relations between Ukraine and Russia, Moscow's new steps are apparently aimed at undermining Ukrainian identity and attempting to strengthen Russian positions. This could significantly impact the further development of events in the region, as the Kremlin's desire to integrate such territories only exacerbates the conflict.