From the imperial conquests of the 18th century to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has consistently used one excuse to justify its aggression: the protection of Russian speakers or ethnic Russians. This narrative, repackaged across centuries, has served as a diplomatic smokescreen for conquest, occupation, and coercion. The rhetoric is simple but effective—frame invasions as defensive, wrap imperial ambitions in humanitarian language, and label victims as aggressors.