Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a sweeping directive instructing officials to intensify efforts to entrench Russian language and identity across territories Moscow occupies in Ukraine, according to a presidential decree published on Wednesday.

The document, titled Russia's National Policy Strategy to 2036, lays out long-term cultural and demographic goals and underscores the Kremlin's ambition to reshape social identity in regions it claims to have annexed during its war in Ukraine, reported by Reuters.

Under the strategy, Russian authorities are tasked with implementing measures to ensure that by 2036, roughly 95% of the country's population self-identifies as Russian. The decree signals a deepening push to expand state influence over cultural and linguistic norms in areas under Moscow's control.

Historic ties between Russia and Ukraine - stretching back centuries and reinforced during the Soviet era - once meant that many Ukrainians spoke Russian at home and viewed Moscow favourably. But Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 has sharply eroded such sentiments. Recent surveys show a significant decline in the use of the Russian language across Ukraine.

Despite its annexation claims, Moscow does not maintain full military control over the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The decree nonetheless suggests the Kremlin intends to entrench influence there, regardless of the military situation on the ground.

Analysts say the new strategy reflects Moscow's long-term plan to secure demographic and cultural dominance in contested territories, even as the conflict shows no sign of ending. The decree could deepen tensions with Kyiv, which views such moves as an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity.

Western governments are expected to criticize the move as part of Russia's broader effort to legitimize territorial claims made in violation of international law. Kyiv, meanwhile, argues that Washington and European powers must keep pressuring Moscow to withdraw and respect Ukraine's sovereignty.

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