US State Dep will not keep track of US citizens going to fight in Ukraine
Though Washington does not encourage citizens to fight in Ukraine, it will not take any measures against those who decide to.
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US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price.
The US State of Department has recently announced that Washington has no plans to keep track of US citizens who're deciding to join the mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, warning that such trips can result in "capture or death."
“When Americans travel abroad they are not required to register with the Department of State in any way, so these are not metrics we would track,” said Ned Price, spokesperson for the State Department, answering a question regarding how many Americans have traveled to Ukraine in light of Ukraine's "invitation" for a coalition.
The US government has been urging US citizens to avoid fighting in Ukraine, at the same time suggesting that no actions will be taken against those who decide to go. While Washington merely advises against it, other countries, like Serbia, have taken to prosecute "volunteers" who decide to fight a war that isn't theirs.
Price contended that traveling to Ukraine poses "risks to personal safety" and that citizens “should be aware that Russia has stated that it intends to treat foreign fighters in Ukraine as ‘mercenaries’ rather than as lawful combatants or prisoners of war.”
Washington requests Moscow "respect all of its obligations and law of war" and warned of "potential attempts at criminal prosecution” and a “heightened risk for mistreatment.”
Read more: US fears being accused of violating Biological Weapons Convention
Around 100 US citizens have been screened to join the fighting in Ukraine against Russian troops after the Ukrainian embassy called on citizens in different countries to join them.
The candidates include some helicopter pilots and others with combat experience from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recently, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that 16,000 mercenaries were expected to join the conflict next week.
Read more: 20,000 European mercenaries to fight with Ukrainian army
State news outlet Ukrinform contended that "Ukraine is creating an International Legion of Territorial Defense consisting of foreigners who are willing to join Ukraine’s resistance and protect global security." Later, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed that the entry of these militants into Ukraine "will be simplified to the maximum extent possible."
Fighting, hand-in-hand with ISIS
Additionally, this week, close to 450 extremist Arab and foreign nationals have arrived in Ukraine from Idlib to fight against Russia's forces, less than only three days after they left Syria, passing through Turkey.
In the wake of reactionary forces (including a neo-Nazi battalion and possible Israeli mercenaries) fighting Russia in Ukraine, Syrian deputy foreign minister, Bashar Al-Jaafari, told Sputnik that there may be a possibility that US special services could be sending ISIS members and Jabhat Al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) soldiers to Ukraine.
"Based on the analysis, we can say that this is quite possibly true. We, as a state, have evidence that the US military in Syria is transferring terrorists from one place to another, especially members of the IS and Jabhat al-Nusra [terrorist group banned in Russia]," Jaafari said.
The Syrian official said that previously, the US had deployed terrorists from Syria to Afghanistan and Burkina-Faso, and that Washington's use of mercenaries is a well-established practice - according to Al-Jaafari, no one should be surprised.
"So one should not be surprised, and we do not exclude, that tomorrow IS terrorists will be sent to Ukraine," Jaafari said.
