Jordan Calls on Russia to Halt Illegal Recruitment After Two Nationals Killed

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned Moscow on Thursday to stop “illegally” recruiting its citizens after two Jordanians died while fighting in the Russian army. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said it would “take all available measures” to end further recruitment and demanded that Russia terminate the contracts of any Jordanians still enlisted. The recruitment, the ministry added, breaches both Jordanian law and international norms and puts its citizens’ lives at risk.

The statement did not give details about where or when the two men were killed, nor did it reference Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. However, the conflict has attracted thousands of foreign fighters to Russia’s side. Ukraine’s Brigadier General Dmytro Usov has said that about 18,000 foreign fighters from 128 countries have joined the Russian effort, and that 3,388 of them have been killed. Most of these recruits are believed to come from North Korea, with estimates suggesting 14,000–15,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Ukraine in 2024. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has also noted that Russia has recruited at least 1,400 Africans from more than 30 countries, often through deception or coercion.

Sybiha warned that signing a contract with the Russian military is “equivalent to signing a death sentence,” describing foreign fighters as “second‑rate, expendable human material” who are quickly sent into deadly “meat assaults.”

Jordan’s demand follows a pattern of other nations—such as Nepal—raising similar concerns after their citizens were killed fighting for Russia. The Jordanian government has not specified what measures it might take, but it emphasized that the recruitment violates domestic and international law and threatens its nationals.

Source: aljazeera.com