A Russian lawmaker is encouraging residents of rebel-held areas in Ukraine to join Russia’s military, a sign that Moscow is still trying to integrate those territories as much as possible amid Western fears that Russia is planning to invade Ukrainian soil.
Legislator Viktor Vodolatsky claimed yesterday that Residents of regions controlled since 2014 by the Russian-backed rebels fear attacks by Ukrainian forces and that those with Russian passports would be welcome in the army.
“If Russian citizens residing (in the territories) want to join the Russian Armed Forces, the Rostov Regional Military Commissariat will register and recruit them,” said Vodolatsky, deputy chairman of the parliamentary commission on relations with neighboring countries, quoted by the agency. state news Tass. Russia has issued passports to more than 500,000 people in the territories. Vodolatsky said the conscripts would serve in Russia, but that leaves open the option that they could join any future invasion force.
Russia has concentrated some 100,000 troops on its soil near Ukraine. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned on Friday that President Vladimir Putin could use any part of that force to seize Ukrainian cities and “significant territories” or to carry out “coercive acts or political acts of provocation.” .
Russia denies that it is planning an invasion, but maintains that Ukraine poses a threat to its security and demands that the OTAN promise that he will never allow Ukraine to join the Western military alliance. In addition, the Kremlin demands that the alliance suspend the deployment of weapons near the borders with Russia and withdraw its forces from Eastern Europe.