Ukranians Being Forcibly Sent To Russia

On Monday, May 9, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby stated that there are indications that Ukrainians are being moved into Russia against their will. The news is the latest example of Vladimir Putin’s utter disregard for the people of Ukraine. It is also not surprising, given Putin’s limits as well as the siege of Mariupol in April, which led to the forced departure of 40,000 Ukrainians.

There are also signs that the civilians are being held in camps. During the press briefing, Kirby said he could not speak about the number of camps or what they looked like, but that “you do not have to look very far to see evidence of Russian brutality.” 

According to The Jerusalem Post, Russian officials have continued to deny their actions, stating that “there have not been forcible transfers, which are against the Geneva Conventions, and that Ukrainians immigrated voluntarily.” 

As the war in Ukraine rages on with no end in sight, the continued mistreatment of the people is violent and cruel. The international community must remain united and act as a unilateral body while countering Putin’s moves. This could look like greater sanctions, or perhaps even direct military assistance for Ukraine.

Russia’s actions have been increasingly harsh; in addition to killing countless innocent Ukrainians, their forced deporting of civilians is unfair and violates several humanitarian principles. In addition, on April 1st, the UN attempted a rescue effort using fifty buses to transport hundreds of civilian survivors out of Mariupol, but this plan was blocked by Russian troops, who refused them safe passage into the city. Such actions need to be met with harsher repercussions, especially as the UN is a humanitarian, peacekeeping organization rising above state lines and therefore should be able to exercise greater authority than Russia.

Such utter disregard for civilian lives shown by Russia is horrifying and amounts to war crimes. The international community must continue to blast the Kremlin with sanctions and hold all those responsible for the attacks accountable. This involves taking cases to the International Criminal Court and trying Putin and his generals for committing war crimes and even genocide. There is a point in which war goes beyond being a simple struggle for a prize and turns towards having irreversible consequences such as the loss of democracy and human rights. The war in Russia-Ukraine is approaching that line if it has not already crossed it, and the international community must keep showing support to Ukraine while strongly denouncing the actions of Russia.

Related