Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday he is releasing prisoners to fight in the war against Russia. In return, the men will be rewarded with the forgiveness of whatever crime they committed. The Ukrainian President noted that he will be sending the prisoners to the thickest points of the battle.
Zelensky shared the remarks during an address that called on “everyone” who could join “in the struggle for our state” to do so.
“Ukrainians with real combat experience will be released from custody and will be able to compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots,” Zelensky said, according to The Kyiv Independent.
“All sanctions against some individuals who participated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation will be lifted. The key thing now is defense,” he added.
Ukraine is only a week into this war and has had to make some serious decisions in desperation but the president insists that the shelling ‘unites us’ even more. The comments came just before President Zelenksy urged that Ukraine be allowed to join the European Union and cut through the red tape.
“In every conversation with our partners, I hear sincere respect. Ukraine has shown the world who we are, and Russia has shown what it has become,” he said. “Every crime, every shelling that the invaders commit against us unites us and our partners even more. Russia did not expect such a solid and powerful response, but the Ukrainians changed that story.”
“Europeans are aware that our soldiers are fighting for our country, and, consequently, for the whole of Europe,” Ukraine’s president added.
Zelenksy has also called on Russian troops to stop fighting and abandon their equipment in defiance of Putin’s invasion.
“Abandon your equipment. Get out of here. Don’t believe your commanders. Don’t believe your propagandists. Just save your lives,” he said.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine urged the EU to grant his country immediate membership of the bloc.
He also had a message for Russian troops in Ukraine: “Abandon your military equipment and leave,” he said. “Save your lives. Leave.”https://t.co/JGBMQM762D pic.twitter.com/yZI2TmjuGw
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 28, 2022
Reports show that the men Putin has sent in up to now have all been young and inexperienced soldiers. Now, Putin has moved to send the battle-hardened and feared Chechen fighters to reinforce his invasion into Ukraine.
Observers said the soldiers could have been sent in as headhunters to kill or capture senior Ukrainian politicians, but they say those initial efforts have been thwarted by Ukraine’s military, according to Fox News.
It’s a concerning move. The Chechen fighters are like Russia’s National Gaurd. I say concerning because Ukraine is already struggling to fight off inexperienced troops.
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