Russia should impose sanctions on those who hate its language & culture – nationalist MP

People who hate Russia’s language and culture should be put on blacklists and targeted with economic sanctions, an MP has suggested, saying that Moscow should seek to protect both the country and its people on the world stage.

Speaking to radio station Moscow Talks on Tuesday, State Duma Deputy Boris Chernyshov claimed that Russians are “always being silenced” abroad, and the government must take measures to protect the country’s culture abroad. Chernyshov is a member of the far-right LDPR party, and earlier this year was chosen by his faction as deputy chairman of parliament. Chernyshov gained international notoriety in 2017 when he suggested that the fast-food chain McDonald’s should be legally designated as a foreign agent.

“Our state should protect not only the Russian language but also the Russian culture and people,” he explained. “We must apply economic sanctions harshly, especially against those countries that are in communication with us.”

“[We shouldn’t apply measures] against a whole nation, but in each country we must assess everything on a case-by-case basis and demand strict observance of our people’s rights,” he continued. “If this does not happen, then we can apply some sanctions.”

According to Chernyshov, Russia’s “big allies” nowadays are not only the country’s army and navy, but also the country’s oil and gas sector, which can also be used to punish Russophobic countries.

“We have had an excellent experience with Ukraine,” he explained. “We must think about this when we formulate policy with respect to a state where there is the humiliation of dignity and honor of [the] Russian-speaking population in these countries.”

Russophobia worldwide has long been a common talking point of officials in Moscow. Earlier this year, United Russia MP Alexander Khinstein called for a change in the law that would ban entry into Russia for those deemed to hate the country.

“For Russophobes and Nazi followers, the doors to the country should be tightly closed,” Khinstein said in August. If his proposals are accepted, those who incite hatred on “national, racial, religious or linguistic grounds” would be prohibited from entering the country.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!