Overview

• Russia's interior ministry is preparing a draft bill that would require foreigners entering the country to sign a 'loyalty agreement', prohibiting them from criticizing official policies, discrediting Soviet military history, or contravening traditional family values.
• The proposed law is seen as part of Russia's crackdown on dissent ahead of the 2024 presidential election, which is expected to secure President Vladimir Putin a fifth term lasting until 2030.
• The 'loyalty agreement' would also bar foreigners from sharing public information about LGBTQ relationships and from 'distorting the historical truth' of the Soviet role in the Second World War.
• The draft bill, which is expected to be sent to Russia's parliament soon, does not specify what kind of punishment individuals could face for breaking the agreement.
• The Kremlin has not commented on the proposed law, which comes amid a broader crackdown on behavior and speech believed to be anti-Russian since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.