Ukraine presents Chinese prisoners who fight for Russia
Ukraine presents Chinese prisoners who fight for Russia
The presentation of prisoners of war before reporters and cameras almost certainly represents a violation of international humanitarian law. But Ukraine seemed to believe that the possible reputation damage, which could arise from a press conference with two supposedly captured fighters from China, is abolished by the greater interest in their presentation.
The motivation of the prisoners of war
The argumentation of the Ukrainian side should have aimed to offer the two men a platform when they demonstrated them in this public event - an approach that may have more worth protecting “against insult and public curiosity”. This protection is advocated by the International Committee by the Red Cross and also includes protection from the media.
China's attitude in the Ukraine conflict
china has always neutrality in War of Russia against Ukraine and repeatedly asks not to interfere in foreign conflicts. Nevertheless, China's actions in Kiev, as a diplomatic and economic life nerve for Moscow, will be observed closely.
struggle for recognition
Dressed in combat suits and answering questions about Mandarin, the prisoners of war were under the supervision of armed Ukrainian security forces while a translator took a seat next to them. The men - which are not named by CNN - reported financial incentives that played a decisive role in their stories. One of them said he was looking for a way to make money after losing his job during the Coronavirus pandemic. The view of 250,000 rubles (approx. $ 3,000) a month in Russia was more than twice as high as what he could expect at home.documents and training under extraordinary conditions
When someone with experience in medical rehabilitation, he stated that he had told the recruiter that he also wanted to do so for the Russian military. But when he arrived in Moscow, he was forced to be trained for a combat unit. The documents offered were only written in Russian, which none of the men understood. Communication was mainly done by hand signals.
The role of foreign fighters
Since the beginning of the conflict, foreign fighters have been part of the war on both sides. A list of non-Russian prisoners of war that were recorded by CNN, which were recorded by Ukraine by the end of 2024, comprises six nationals from Sri Lanka, seven from Nepal and people from Somalia, the Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Egypt and Syria, as well as a dozen from former Soviet republics. In January, Ukraine also caught two North Koreans, parts of an estimated force of 14,000 troops, which were sent by Pyongyang to support Moscow
The effects of capture on geopolitical relationships
A source of the Ukrainian defense secretary said that Russia is dependent on foreign fighters, since it has meanwhile been caught in a grueling war. "It cannot maintain the long front line with its own soldiers and uses every opportunity to recruit it," says the source.
latest developments
Since the announcement of the capture of the Chinese men - followed by Ukraine, which gave information about another 155 Chinese citizens who are fighting for Russia - has increased interest in their recruitment and the possible role of the Chinese government. President Wolodymyr Selenskyj did little to dampen such speculation when he was asked whether he believed that the presence of Chinese citizens in Ukraine was the result of Beijings' official policy.
FAZIT
Although Ukraine has already organized press conferences with prisoners of war in the past, the decision to present their Chinese prisoners of war in this way assumes special importance. The time is crucial, since Kiev tries to win the upper hand in his struggle for the attention of the US President Donald Trump . In the middle of the sought solutions between the USA and China, this could also be a signal to the European Union with regard to its recent approaches to China.
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