Families say two US citizens have gone missing in Ukraine and fear being detained by Russia.
Washington:
The United States on Thursday called on Russia to treat any American volunteer captured while fighting alongside the Ukrainian military as prisoners of war guaranteed humane treatment.
The State Department also said a third American is believed to be missing in Ukraine in addition to two former soldiers who were captured by Russian forces during a battle last week.
“Russians have certain obligations and members of the armed forces of Ukraine – including volunteers who may be third country citizens incorporated into the armed forces – must be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
Prisoners of war must be “paid for treatment and protection commensurate with their status, including humane treatment and due process and ensuring a fair trial,” he said.
Families and members of Congress said Wednesday that Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, both US military veterans living in Alabama, lost contact with their loved ones last week while fighting force. Ukrainian forces near the Russian border.
Price said the US could not confirm details of the pair and there were also reports of a third US citizen believed to have gone missing “in recent weeks.”
The Geneva Convention, which originated in the 19th century and was updated after World War II, defines the rights of prisoners of war including prohibiting torture and guaranteeing medical treatment.
Under former president George W Bush, the United States controversially labeled fighters detained in the “war on terror” as enemy fighters, not prisoners of war, over protection under the Geneva Convention.
The administration of President Joe Biden, while sending billions of dollars in weapons and economic aid to Ukraine, argues that the United States is not directly fighting Russia and has discouraged Americans from going to war zones.
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