MOSCOW — The Kremlin says President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a bill expanding the legal basis for using military force abroad.

The bill allows the president to send troops outside the country to fend off attacks on the Russian military, deter aggression against another state, defend Russian citizens, combat pirates and protect shipping.

The Kremlin-controlled parliament quickly endorsed the bill, which Medvedev had submitted in September. The president's office announced Monday that he had signed it.

The measure is seen by some as a sign that the Kremlin is taking a tougher stance in relations with ex-Soviet neighbors after last year's war with Georgia.

The previous law only envisaged sending troops abroad to fight terrorists and fulfill Russia's obligations in line with international treaties.