Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree approving the “Fundamentals of State Language Policy”.

Axar.az reports, that the new document emphasizes that the Russian language is the national treasure of the Russian Federation, an integral part of the cultural and civilizational “Russian world” that unites the country’s multinational people and other peoples of the world.

The following are the goals of the decree:

• protection and development of the Russian language;

• strengthening its position both within the country and internationally;

• highlighting the role of the Russian language as a tool of integration and civic solidarity.

However, the essence of this document is not limited to language policy alone. The decree clearly states that the Russian state undertakes to protect the Russian language not only within its borders, but also abroad. If “threats or discrimination” against the Russian language occur in any country, Moscow will consider this a basis for intervention.

Specific messages in this direction have already been given. The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned Yerevan that if there are any restrictions on the Russian language in Armenia, Moscow will react to this and impose sanctions. It is emphasized that similar processes are also observed in the Baltic countries, Moldova and other post-Soviet countries. According to the Kremlin, all this is part of the “anti-Russian and anti-Russian language policy”.

Experts say that Putin’s decree serves to transform the concept of the “Russian world” into a broader geopolitical sphere. Thus, the situation of the Russian language in any country is used as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of that state.

In this context, it is noteworthy that in recent times, the attitude towards the Russian language in various segments of society in Azerbaijan has cooled significantly compared to previous years. Some observers believe that this decree, signed by Putin, may also serve to create a lever of pressure against Azerbaijan.