Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged India and 46 other countries on Wednesday to prevent their citizens from being drawn into Russia’s war against Ukraine, alleging that Moscow recruits foreign nationals through “deception and tricks”.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy claimed that citizens of 47 countries, including India, were fighting for Russia and that some of them had died in combat.
“We also see people dying on the battlefield, who are not Russians — people from your countries, 47 countries, who ended up in Russia through deception and tricks,” Zelenskyy added.
According to PTI, he made a direct appeal to representatives of the countries involved: “Take care of them and do not let them end up on another front. Do not let Putin drag you into this war. Do not let Russia put out its fires, cover up its shame, and pay for its madness with the lives of your people,”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri earlier this month said 227 Indian nationals had been inducted into the Russian army. According to statistics cited by Misri, 139 of them had been discharged and 51 had died.
Zelenskyy also appealed for trade restrictions with Russia, saying trade revenue was helping to fund the war.
