At UNGA, Zelenskyy says Russia using Indians in Ukraine war

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Russia is using citizens from 47 countries, including India, in its war against Ukraine, urging nations to prevent their citizens from being drawn into the conflict.

United Nations:  Russia uses citizens of India and over 40 other countries to fight in its war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly, urging the countries to not let Russian President Vladimir Putin “drag you into this war.”

“…And right now, I want to speak not to Europe. I want to speak to those countries whose people Russia may try to use in another absolutely brutal campaign,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday in his address at the General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

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He said Ukraine gets prisoners of war hailing from several nations, not just from North Korea.

“We know that Russia uses citizens of 47 countries in its war. In this war, Ghana, Nepal, Tajikistan, India, Yemen, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Sudan, South Africa, and many, many others. And from time to time, we receive requests to send particular POWs (Prisoners of War) back home,” Zelenskyy said.

He said Ukraine knows that people from other countries fighting in the war are dying on the battlefield.

“We also see people dying on the battlefield, who are not Russians, people from your countries, 47 countries, who ended up in Russia through deception and tricks.”

Appealing directly to every representative of the 47 countries, he said, “You know what Russia is doing with your people, your citizens. Take care of them and do not let them end up on another front. Do not let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin drag you into this war. Do not let Russia put out its fires, cover up its shame, and pay for its madness with the lives of your people. Limit his room to act. Limit his money. Limit his war.”

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said earlier this month that the issue of Indian citizens being recruited into the Russian armed forces has been discussed between India and Russia “at various levels on various occasions”.

“At last count, we had information about 227 Indian nationals who had been recruited into the Russian army,” Misri had said.

“Out of that, we have information that 139 of our nationals have been discharged from the army. And unfortunately, of course, we have information also about 51 people who have perished so far.”

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to every country that stands with Ukraine and helps its people and urged nations to limit trade with Russia, as that will impact Moscow’s revenue sources to fuel the war.

“Sanctions, support packages, our joint weapon production – all of these matter. All of this makes us stronger. When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time. That is exactly why we insist on limiting trade with the aggressor, and why we are burning Russia’s revenues ourselves,” he said.

Zelenskyy added that the world has seen more than once how the abuse of the veto at the UN weakens the world and pushes peace further away.

“When Russia has money, it always says no to diplomacy, and this is also a kind of veto on peace…And when someone in the world weakens sanctions against Russian oligarchs, it may make life more comfortable for rich Russians, but it also gives the war more time, more time for Putin to send poor people into the kill zone. So Russia’s revenues must remain a target. Russia’s budget deficit is now bigger than in any other year, and most Russian regions are already bankrupt,” he said.