For the Kremlin, sending foreign fighters to Ukraine is justified because, he says, the West is facilitating the arrival of “mercenaries” to support the Ukrainian army.
Article written
Published on 11.03.2022 13:32 Updated on 11.03.2022 13:44
Reading time: 1 min.
On Friday, March 11, Russia announced that Syrian citizens can voluntarily fight Ukrainian troops. “If the Western world is so excited about the idea of the arrival of diverse and diverse mercenaries, then on our side there are also volunteers who want to participate,” said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Who wants, who asked [à partir combattre] are citizens of the Middle East, Syrians,” he added, quoting Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
>> Look for the latest information about the war in Ukraine in our live broadcast
Russia has provided significant military support to the Syrian regime since the fall of 2015. It has bolstered its forces against both opposition and jihadist forces, retaining the de facto power of Bashar al-Assad, who now controls most of Syria. .
Shortly before this statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to facilitate the dispatch of “volunteer” fighters to Ukraine in response to the supply of what he called “mercenaries” from the West.
For its part, on March 8, the Pentagon had already accused Russia of recruiting Syrians to carry out its invasion. These soldiers, in addition to all the combat forces that have been concentrated on the Russian-Ukrainian border in recent months, amount to more than 150,000 soldiers, according to Washington.
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via email Share link