Russia has laid the groundwork for expanding its soft power across North America and Asia with a new decree Vladimir Putin signed last week.
The new order provides funds to search, register and provide legal protection to Russian properties abroad – including land and buildings located in former Russian Empire and Soviet Union territories.
Among the areas affected by the new decree is Alaska, which was sold to the United States in 1867 and still hosts communities with close links to Russia.
Parts of central and eastern Europe, Scandinavia as well as large chunks of Asia were also once part of the former empire.
However, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) pointed out that the “exact parented of what constitutes current or historical Russian property are unclear.”
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ISW researchers have suggested that Moscow could exploit the new decree to exercise claims over the property to “destabilise” neighbours.
They said: “The Kremlin may use the ‘protection’ of its claimed property in countries outside of its internationally recognised borders to forward soft power mechanisms in post-Soviet and neighbouring states ultimately aimed at internal destabilisation.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry will be in charge of locating and registering all affected property alongside the Foreign Property Management Enterprise for it to be “protected.”
Putin has reiterated he has no interest in staking a claim over Alaska but supporters of the regime have repeatedly suggested the US state could play a pivotal role in delivering a blow to the United States.
The ultra-nationalist Two Majors Telegram Channel suggested Alaska could be only the first territory to be targeted in a campaign aimed at reclaiming former Russian territories.
The channel’s moderators wrote: “We suggest starting with Alaska.” They then said Moscow could shift its focus to “Dnieper Ukraine, Bessarabia, the Grand Duchy of Finland, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Central Asian states of Russian Turkestan, most of the Baltic provinces, and a significant part of Poland.”
They added: “Property can be searched both in the [German Democratic Republic] and in other Warsaw Pact countries.
“An expedition of combat legal defenders has already set out for Africa.”
While the ISW dismissed suggestions Alaska could be reclaimed by Russia, they suggested the ultranationalist community could exploit the plans to foment anger at the Russian government.
Putin has faced widespread criticism over his failure to deliver on his goals in Ukraine and to green-light mass mobilisation to push back on Ukraine’s defence forces.
