MOSCOW (Realist English). Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin on Tuesday described so-called foreign agents as “people who have betrayed their country,” calling for continued reinforcement of legislation to protect Russia’s national security.
Speaking at a plenary session, Volodin said individuals designated as foreign agents “are financed from abroad, work with foreign organizations, and cause harm to the state by acting against Russia’s national interests.”
“These are people who have changed sides,” Volodin stated. “They receive foreign funding and cooperate with external structures to undermine the Russian Federation. We must constantly work to ensure the security of our country.”
He emphasized that tightening the law on foreign agents is done “solely in the interests of the nation and its citizens,” warning against complacency in the face of external influence.
“If we fail to defend our country, we risk repeating the tragic periods of our past — times when Russia lost its sovereignty and foreign powers dictated their will here,” he said. “We must not allow such days to return.”
Russia’s foreign agents law, first adopted in 2012 and expanded multiple times since, requires individuals and organizations receiving foreign funding or engaged in what the government defines as “political activity” to register under the label. The legislation has been widely criticized by Western governments and rights groups, but Moscow maintains it is essential for protecting state sovereignty and countering foreign interference.
