Putin Signs Decree to Solidify Russian Identity in Annexed Ukrainian Regions

Presidential Decree Aims for Unified Russian Identity

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree titled 'Strategy of Russia's national policy in the period to 2036,' which mandates the strengthening of Russian civic identity and language use in Ukrainian territories that Russia has incorporated. The decree, published on Tuesday, November 26, 2025, sets an ambitious target: to ensure that at least 95 percent of the population in these regions identifies as Russian by the year 2036. The document is slated to come into force in January 2026.

Key Provisions and Targeted Regions

The newly signed decree outlines a series of measures designed to foster a unified Russian civic identity and entrench the use of the Russian language. It also calls for actions to counter 'efforts by unfriendly foreign states to destabilize inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations and create a split in society.' The territories specifically referenced in the decree are the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which Moscow claims to have incorporated following its 2022 invasion. Despite these claims, Russian forces do not maintain full military control over all parts of these regions.

Historical Context and Kremlin's Stance

The decree frames the securing of control over these eastern regions as having 'created conditions for restoring the unity of the historical territories of the Russian state.' This aligns with President Putin's long-standing assertions regarding Ukraine's historical identity as distinct from Russia. The Kremlin has consistently presented its actions in Ukraine, including the 2022 invasion, as a means to 'demilitarize and denazify' the country and protect Russian-speaking populations from alleged discrimination. However, Kyiv and Western governments do not recognize these annexations, viewing them as violations of international law and attempts to erase Ukrainian identity.