Protecting 'Russians'

When Hungary sought to strengthen its ties with ethnic Hungarian minorities living in
neighbouring states, this was strongly resisted by the Council of Europe and other legal
bodies.
Russia went even further in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where pro-Moscow separatists
opposed Georgian rule. Russia simply handed out passports to ethnic Russians, and
later purported to rescue its own citizens from Georgian aggression. This ploy
represents a misuse of the doctrine of "rescue of nationals abroad".
That rescue doctrine does not cover foreigners declared nationals principally for the
purpose of rescuing them forcibly. Moreover, it would only facilitate moving them back
to their purported homeland - Russia. It would not justify occupation of parts of a
neighbouring state.
Moscow cannot rely on the doctrine of humanitarian intervention, either. Under that
doctrine, a state may intervene exceptionally in circumstances of grave humanitarian
emergency in order to save an entire population whose very survival is threatened.
There is no evidence of such a situation at present.
Were such a situation to arise, it would be the result of the intervention that has already
taken place. Moreover, a state intervening for genuine humanitarian purposes would not
be entitled to cause a change in the status of the territory concerned.