By The Weekly Vision Reporter
President William Ruto has sought the assistance of his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to secure the safe return of Kenyans allegedly recruited by Russia to fight in the war between the two countries.
Writing on his verified X account after a phone conversation on Thursday, 6th November, President Ruto said he and President Zelenskyy had expressed concern over young Kenyans who had been illegally recruited to fight in the war in Ukraine, and agreed to raise awareness of the dangers of such ventures.
“I have requested President Zelenskyy to facilitate the release of any Kenyan in Ukrainian custody. I am grateful to His Excellency for acceding to my appeal,” Ruto added. On his part, President Zelenskyy said they had discussed Russia’s recruitment of foreign citizens into what he described as its criminal war.
“Ukraine and Kenya are aware of all the fraudulent methods being used and will work more closely to put an end to them,” he stated. According to media reports, several Kenyans are fighting on the frontlines or in occupied Ukrainian territories. Of these, 82 have since linked up with Kenya’s Mission in Moscow.
In September, police in Nairobi rescued more than 20 people from a suspected human trafficking ring that had lured them with fake job offers in Russia but allegedly intended to send them to fight in Ukraine. A young Kenyan athlete was among those captured in Ukraine, saying he had been tricked into joining the Russian army.
There are also several Kenyans being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine. Others in custody are from Somalia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba, and Sri Lanka, according to Petro Yatsenko, Ukraine’s spokesperson on the treatment of prisoners of war, who recently spoke to the BBC. During the phone conversation, President Zelenskyy said he had also briefed President Ruto on Russia’s continued attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and thanked him for his words of support.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations and joint projects, agreeing that their teams would continue to work on them. Special attention was paid to the issue of Ukrainian children. This month, Ukraine plans to submit a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s illegal abduction and deportation of Ukrainian minors.
President Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Kenya’s continued support, while President Ruto commended him for the upcoming Ukraine Food Summit, which Ukraine is set to host later this month.
