Ex-US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul calls on Russian soldiers' Mothers to end war

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war crisis, the former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul called on the mothers of Russian soldiers to end the war. In his tweet, Michael McFaul wrote a message for Russian mothers to end the ongoing war just like they ended the unjust and brutal war in Chechnya in the 1990s.

McFaul's tweet reads, "Mothers of Russian Soldiers - The Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia - you helped stop the unjust and brutal war in Chechnya in the 1990s. Rise up and stop this new war! Save your sons now before it's too late." McFaul was the United States Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014 when current President of US Joe Biden was Vice President under Barack Obama's tenure. 

The Union of Committees of Soldiers' Mothers of Russia (CSMR) was founded in 1989 to bring back their soldier sons early from military service. In November 1994, when the war broke out in Chechnya, CSMR was rallying against the war. The Chechnya war started when there was a rebellion by the Chechnya Republic of Ichkeria against the Russian federation. CSMR opposed the war from the start. Hundreds of women led by CSMR marched to Chechnya to take their sons away from the war. Referring to the same in his tweet, McFaul wants CSMR to repeat history.

UK volunteers arrive in Ukraine to fight Russian forces

On one hand while McFaul put out a tweet asking Russian mothers to stop the war, on the other, the first batch of UK combat volunteers arrived in Ukraine to fight with Russia. Many youths in Europe are seen outside Ukraine's embassies to join the international military unit instituted by the Ukraine Government to fight against Russia, says a report from Insider. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on February 27, that she supported British nationals joining the struggle. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested several western countries to help Ukraine against the invasion from President Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Sanctions to stop Russia

Amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, several countries have imposed sanctions on Russia to voice their support for Ukraine and at the same time put pressure on Putin to stop the ongoing war. US President Joe Biden held a video conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Monday, amid the ongoing crisis. The meeting was organised to discuss further coordination on increasing sanctions on the Putin-led nation for its unprovoked aggression on Ukraine. Whilst detailing their recent engagements with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia, the leaders also committed to ensuring continued security, economic and humanitarian assistance for Ukrainians.

Image: AP