Russian embassy warns Thais “don’t fight with Ukrainians”, threatens prosecution
Yesterday, the Embassy of Russia in Bangkok posted on Facebook urging Thais not to join the Ukrainian military. The post was originally in Russian, but viewers can see a translated version in English.
The embassy alleges that under international law, such ‘merceneries’ who join Ukrainian forces are not qualified as combatants, and have no status as prisoners of war. It says the best-case-scenerio for them is detention and prosecution.
Thais with military experience have signed up to fight with Ukrainian forces, though it’s unclear exactly how many. Some of them cite a sense of duty to stand up for a small country against a big country invading it.
“I hate to see strong people harassing weak ones. I am ready to quit as a volunteer ranger and fly to Ukraine if I am recruited to join the fight.”
This news comes a week after the Ukrainian president posted an appeal to foreigners to come to the Ukraine to help its forces fight Russia’s military invasion.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post | Embassy of Russia
