By: Manoah Kikekon
Russian
President Vladimir Putin is ready to accept up to 16,000 volunteers from the Middle
East to fight for Russia in the ongoing Ukraine escalation.
This
came after Putin declared the invasion of Ukraine, which will allow Russia to deploy
machineries from countries like Syria, preventing Russian army casualties.
Sergei
Shoigu Defence Minister said at Russian’s
Security Council meeting that, 16,000 volunteers in the Middle East are ready to
fight alongside Russian-backed forces in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
Reported
earlier today by Reuters
Putin speaking from Kremlin said "If you see that there are these people who
want of their own accord, not for money, to come to help the people living in
Donbass, then we need to give them what they want and help them get to the
conflict zone,".
Shoigu
also suggested arming the Dobass forces and the volunteers with seized Western-made
weapons, and other weapons like anti-tank rocket complexes and man-portable air
defense systems(MANPADS).
He said the operation was all going to be planned before requesting Putin's approval for
the use of the volunteers from the Middle East.
Putin
all shared the view of Shoigu saying "As to the delivery of arms, especially
Western-made ones which have fallen into the hands of the Russian army - of
course I support the possibility of giving these to the military units of the
Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics,”.
He
gave Shoigu the go ahead "Please do this," Reuters
report.
Putin
justifies his actions saying "special military operation" in Ukraine
is necessary to ensure Russia's security after the United States supported pro-Western
leaders in Kyiv and extending NATO up to its border.
Meanwhile
Ukraine said it is fighting for its survival, United State of America, and its allies
have condemned the Russian Invasion. Supporting Ukraine with arms and other humanitarian
aids.
U.S.
intelligence chiefs told lawmakers on Thursday that Ukraine had surprised Russia
for the fierce resistance, making it difficult for Kremlin to claim quick victory.
William
Burns China Central Intelligence Agency Director said it’s becoming a concern to
Beijing.
"I
do believe that the Chinese leadership, President Xi (Jinping) in particular,
is disturbed," Reuters
reports. "By what he's seen, partly because his own intelligence doesn't
appear to have told him what was going to happen."
Shoigu said the flow of western arms to Ukraine is uncontrolled this will
make Russia improve her security on the western border.
"The
general staff is working on, and has almost finished, a plan to strengthen our
Western borders, including, naturally, with new modern complexes," He added.
“The question of how to react to NATO countries moves need a
separate discussion”. Putin said.
Source. Reuters