(Finance) – The Russian president Vladimir Putin stated that four o’clock regions of theUkraine annexed by Moscow are Russian “historical lands” and their inhabitants “part of our people”. Speaking to St.Pietroburgo at a meeting of the Council of Legislators, which includes members of the two chambers of the national Parliament and representatives of the parliaments of the republics, he stated that for this today it is necessary “to defend and protect their unequivocal decision to return to Russia”.
All the Russian authorities must work as “a cohesive and well-coordinated team” to face the “economic aggression of the West”, Putin added, arguing that Russia has “many friends” even among citizens “of the United States and ofEurope“. However, this does not apply to the elites of those countries “which do not always pursue policies in the interests of their peoples”, and this “will fall on them in the future”.
Putin then said that residents of the four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia who do not agree to become Russian citizens will be considered foreigners and they can be expelled if they will bring “a threat to the national security” with activities that also include “participation in unauthorized rallies and demonstrations”. The measure is foreseen by a law signed and promulgated today by Putin after being approved by Parliament.
There norm provides for the introduction of life imprisonment as a possible penalty for the crime of “high treason”, hitherto punished in Russia with up to 20 years’ imprisonment. The maximum sentence for criminals is also raised from 15 to 20 years in prison terrorist attacks.