Jordan urges Russia to stop recruiting its citizens to fight in Ukraine

Jordan has called on Russia to halt the recruitment of Jordanian nationals into the Russian army to fight in Ukraine, and to end the enlistment of any Jordanians previously recruited, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Fouad al-Majali said in a statement that the ministry is following, through the Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two Jordanian citizens "after they were recruited to fight with the Russian army".

He added that the ministry is closely monitoring "operations in which Jordanian citizens are being deceived by external parties for the purpose of illegal recruitment, which constitutes a violation of Jordanian law and international law and puts citizens’ lives at risk".

Al-Majali called on Jordanians to report any attempts to recruit them into the Russian military, warning of the risks involved and the legal violations such attempts represent.

He said the ministry had formally asked Russia to stop recruiting Jordanians and to end the recruitment of any Jordanian previously enlisted in the Russian armed forces.

The ministry also warned of entities operating online to recruit Jordanians, stating that it is monitoring such groups in coordination with national institutions to take "all legal and diplomatic measures" to stop them and enforce the law.

It said that deceiving Jordanians and recruiting them into a foreign army constitutes a "serious violation of international law, international obligations, and Jordanian law, which criminalises joining a foreign army".

The Daily Telegraph reported last July that Russia has been using Africans as cannon fodder in its war against Ukraine due to a shortage of fighters.

The newspaper said Russia is recruiting "from all sides", including by deceiving Africans with promises of lucrative employment, citing testimonies collected by the Ukrainian army from soldiers who had fled or been captured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree last August allowing foreigners to serve in the Russian army not only during states of emergency or martial law but also during periods of mobilisation.

To expand recruitment efforts, the Kremlin will also permit qualified specialists of legal age to sign contracts with the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Federal Security Service, or other state security agencies.