Russia "Punish Mapmakers Who Do Not Mark Ukraine Occupied Territories as Part of Their Land"

"Punishment for Traitors Wishing for the Downfall of Jo Guk"
Aiming to Strengthen Sovereignty over Occupied Ukrainian Territories

[Image source= Alaska Anchorage State University homepage]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russia has announced plans to enact a law punishing creators of maps, documents, and image materials that do not designate territories claimed by the Russian government as Russian territory, including occupied areas in Ukraine, sparking controversy. This is interpreted as a strategy to strengthen sovereignty over these regions, which are not fully recognized as Russian territory under international law, in order to gain an advantageous position in future ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine.

According to Russian news agency TASS on the 9th (local time), the Russian government plans to enact a law that can punish creators of maps, documents, and image materials that do not mark Russian-occupied areas within Ukraine, as well as the Kuril Islands (known in Japan as the Northern Territories), which are disputed with Japan, as Russian territory. TASS reported, "The Russian government will amend the anti-extremism law to classify creators of maps, images, and documents that challenge the integrity of Russian territory as extremists and will take punitive actions against them."

If the bill passes, the Russian government's control over journalists, teachers, religious groups, and companies engaged in anti-war activities is expected to be significantly strengthened. Within Russia, anti-war groups and human rights organizations have not labeled the Crimean Peninsula and Russian military-occupied areas in Ukraine as Russian territory, while the Russian government and pro-government factions have strongly criticized them as traitors, TASS reported.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and a close aide to President Vladimir Putin, warned at a press conference, "We have begun discussing punishment for Russians who wish for the destruction of the motherland," adding, "There are special rules for dealing with traitors during wartime."

The amendment is expected to be submitted soon to the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian government. After review, it will pass through the Federation Council and, upon final signature by President Putin, will come into effect.

Under current international law, the Crimean Peninsula, forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014, along with territories occupied since the invasion of Ukraine began in February last year, are all recognized as Ukrainian territory, not Russian.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.