Russia is encouraging extrajudicial executions, and is converting the occupied territories of Ukraine into a prototype of a “new Kampuchea”. In Russia, the death penalty has been abolished at the legislative level, but Putin’s dictatorial regime encourages the creation of “gray zones” where lawlessness and arbitrariness reign. The Russian-controlled “republics” of the “LPR” and “DPR” have become a territory of absolute evil and hate, where the rulers have become executioners in Russia’s interest. Unable to defeat the Ukrainian Army, the Russian dictator takes out his anger on prisoners of war, ordering the puppets Pushilin and Pasechnik to announce death penalties for the Britons Aiden Aslin and Sean Pinner, as well as Moroccan Saadoune Brahim.
The terrorist organisation euphemistically known as the “DPR” is already responsible for the death of one British prisoner, Paul Urey, whom they arrested on suspicion of being a mercenary. He claims to the contrary that he was trying to rescue civilians trapped by the fighting. The terrorists responsible for his death are the DPR militia controlled by Pushilin, and puppets of Putin’s regime.
It is clear that a serious threat is emerging on the eastern borders of the EU – with potential for the emergence of a “big war” in Europe due to the arbitrariness and cruelty committed by these pro-Russian terrorist militias. This threat can only be stopped by increasing the delivery of heavy Western weapons, which Ukraine desperately needs to hold back the onslaught of Putin’s army from their advance towards Europe. The use of even a limited number of American HIMARS MLR systems has rather quickly changed the course of developments on the front line, inflicting heavy losses on the Russians and forcing them to withdraw from many sectors. Weapons are the only thing that can stop Putin.
Foreigners who remain in captivity of Russia and its puppet entities are hostages of illegitimate terrorist organisations. The US and UK, whose citizens are being held captive, have long proven their ability to effectively fight terrorists around the world. The two British nationals mentioned are only a small part of the prisoners of war who are languishing in prisons in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. Russia is rapidly slipping “back to the USSR” and regaining the relevant characteristic features: prison camps, repression, persecution of dissidents, and deceit. While threatening the world, Vladimir Putin actually has no real leverage. All he can do is to defiantly intimidate the world with the phrases such as “we haven’t really started anything in Ukraine yet” and show-off executions of foreign nationals, falsely accused of committing all sorts of crimes against “Russian people.”
The situation with the announced execution of foreigners requires intervention . The self-appointed leaders of terrorist Russian proxy enclaves should not be allowed to dictate their will to the leaders of major world powers. This could set a dangerous precedent and create the temptation to blackmail legitimate governments by other terrorists in other parts of the world, and spark terror attacks in Europe. Reports claim that in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, Russia sets up training camps where militants from Syria and Iraq undergo training. Some of them may later be sent to Europe to carry out subversive missions and terror attacks.
The announced execution of foreign nationals by Russian proxy forces could be the precursor for subsequent executions of local residents and Ukrainian POWs. In the case of the “DPR/LPR,” we are dealing with illegitimate organizations of a terrorist nature, where human life is of no value. There is a risk that these illegally occupied territories of Ukraine will turn into criminal enclaves practicing extrajudicial executions, abductions, human trafficking, slave labour, and a total disregard for human rights. The head of the so-called “DPR” Dmitry Pushilin announced on July 12 that he had conducted negotiations with North Korea regarding the official recognition of the “DPR.” On July 13, Pyongyang formally recognized the “DPR.” The absurdity of the political agenda in the Russian puppet republics of the “LPR” and “DPR,” sets a dangerous precedent: if Putin previously viewed these “republics” as a tool toward the gradual destruction of Ukraine, now he wants to turn them into a complex threat to Europe – a “European Kampuchea” or “European North Korea”
The actions of Russian terrorists may threaten the stability of Europe, as there is a threat of EU countries’ citizens being abcucted, as well as militants penetrating into the territories of countries neighbouring Ukraine. The scale of violence in the “DPR” and “LPR” is unprecedented.
The government of Ukraine will not allow continued atrocities on its territory and the execution of innocent people, and will call on Western democracies to reconsider their attitude towards the war in Ukraine. Ukrainians understand all too well that this is not just a Russian-Ukrainian war, this is Russia’s first step towards an attempt to destroy the whole of Europe.