Ivan Dovhanich, Ukrainian Ambassador to Iraq, in an interview with Rudaw. Photo: Screengrab / Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukraine is working “closely” with Iraqi authorities to address the recruitment of Iraqi citizens by Russia to fight in the war against Ukraine, Kyiv’s ambassador to Iraq said on Sunday, amid growing concern in Baghdad over Iraqis joining foreign armies.
“This is extremely sensitive and painful matter,” Ivan Dovhanich told Rudaw's Nalin Hassan. “I feel great sorrow for the young Iraqi men whom Russia has deceived and coerced into fighting a war that is not their own, and who are being sent without mercy into hopeless assaults.”
In late December, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, Qasim al-Araji, stated that “hundreds of Iraqis” are fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Dovhanich said Ukraine views the recruitment of Iraqis as a crime.
“What Russia is doing by recruiting Iraqi youth is a crime against those Iraqi Arab boys, a crime against their families, and ultimately an act of contempt towards Iraq itself,” he said, adding that Kyiv is working “closely” with Baghdad. “The resolve with which the Iraqi government is fighting against the trafficking of its own citizens commands Ukraine's deepest respect.”
The Iraqi government has decided to tighten legal and security measures against any citizen who joins foreign national armies, particularly those involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
On Wednesday, Araji chaired a meeting where officials agreed to activate provisions of Iraq’s penal code that mandate imprisonment for any citizen who joins a foreign army without prior authorization from the relevant authorities.
There is no precise data on how many Iraqis are currently participating in the war.
The ambassador said estimates suggest between 15,000 and 20,000 foreign nationals are fighting in the Russian army, with more than half from North Korea. Others, he said, come from Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. “They are recruited, brutally recruited by Russians. Russia has turned itself into a global broker of this.”
Dovhanich said he has no information indicating Iraqi citizens are fighting for Ukraine. “My authorities, my Ukrainian agencies, told me that they don't have any information about Iraqi citizens fighting for Ukraine,” he said, noting that foreign volunteers from over 50 countries serving with Ukrainian forces come “of their own free will, driven by personal conviction.”
More than four years have passed since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has resulted in significant civilian casualties. With US mediation, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have intensified, though prospects for a breakthrough remain uncertain. Moscow has repeatedly demanded full control over all Ukrainian territories it currently occupies.
The following is the transcript for the full interview with Ivan Dovhanich:
Rudaw: To start, four years have passed since the beginning of this war between Russia and Ukraine. What is the current state of the Ukrainian army?
Ivan Dovhanich: Thank you for the question. Ukraine now has one of the most battle-hardened and battle-capable armies in Europe and perhaps in the world because these four years of full-scale hard war have forged the Ukrainian army into an experienced, highly motivated force with a high spirit. We are fighting on our own soil, and that is our greatest strength.
During these four years, how many of your cities, towns, and villages have you lost?
You know, war started in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea, altogether for this period of time, Russia temporarily occupies approximately 20 percent of the Ukraine's sovereign territory. Crimea, parts of Donetsk region, and some neighboring regions, but no occupation is permanent. We have liberated Kherson city, the Kharkiv region, and parts of the Zaporizhzhia region, and the Ukrainian army pressed on.
What percentage of Ukrainian territory is currently under Russian control?
I told you before that now, starting from 2014, Russia occupies approximately 20 percent of Ukraine's sovereign territory
On another note, Ukraine's infrastructure has also been targeted in the war over the past four years. The lack of electricity is now a major problem for the Ukrainian people. Have you received any efforts or promises from your allied countries to resolve this issue?
Thank you very much, because really our infrastructure is seriously damaged during this war, but anyway, Ukraine is able to adapt, for adaptation. Moreover, we have huge significant support from our partners abroad, and Ukrainian economy is showing capability to grow in these very difficult circumstances.
Holding elections is another demand from the Ukrainian people themselves. Will elections be held this year? Should this happen?
I'm not sure that Ukrainian people are asking for elections, because everyone understood that during this war, during such a war, it's very difficult to have a real open democratic elections, having a lot of our people abroad, having some part of territories, of Ukrainian territories with Ukrainian inhabitants under occupation. So, my feeling is that majority of Ukrainians are asking for elections after the war, but not during the war.
What impact has the Trump administration's policy toward Ukraine had on your forces' capabilities?
We are grateful to American administration, personally to Mr. Trump, for his efforts, because he is a world leader, and he has real means and levels in his hands to stop this absolutely senseless war. Any reduction of suspension of American support is a serious challenge for Ukraine, but as I told you, Ukraine adapts.
We rely on our own defense products, on European, Europe's support, and on our belief that the United States will ultimately recognize this truth. Supporting Ukraine is not a charity. It is a sound investment in global security.
You mentioned European assistance to Ukraine. The assistance is certainly ongoing. Is this it sufficient, and does it enable you to continue in the war?
The European Union has taken an unprecedented step. Over 100 billion euros in support of Ukraine. That is a significant amount of money. But the demands of wartime always exceed what peacetime budgets can provide. We are deeply grateful to our European partners, and at the same time, we currently, we need more, and we need it faster.
On another note, diplomatically, there have been several rounds of diplomatic negotiations with Russia. What have their results been so far?
Direct negotiations with Russia, between Ukraine and Russia, effectively collapsed in the spring of 2022, four years ago. In the wake of the Bucresolveha massacre, and after it became clear that Russia had been using the talks as a tactical pause to regroup its forces. Since then, only indirect diplomatic contacts through intermediators. The result has been up to date zero, because Moscow has never abandoned its goal of completely destroying Ukraine as a sovereign state.
Why have these indirect negotiation efforts yielded no results? What is the main point of disagreement?
As I told you, the result up to date is almost zero because of the position of Moscow. Their main objective is destroying Ukraine as a sovereign state. It is not a war about territories or resources. Russia, all time, is using any, any, possibilities to postpone negotiations, prolong war, and so on. So, we were starting negotiations with Russia a lot of times. We were asking for ceasefire, or we proclaimed even ceasefire, ceasefires, but every time, Russia started more and more. So there is no trust to Russia, because we see that Putin, Putin's goal is to destroy my country.
Do you accept the Trump administration's proposal for peace?
As my president, President Zelensky, has stated repeatedly, Ukraine wants peace, but just peace. Peace cannot mean legitimation [of] conquest. Any formula that upholds sovereignty, provides security guarantees, and restores justice deserves for serious discussion. Capitulation does not. And as we feel, American, our American partners understand that.
On another note, there is a major issue being discussed these days, which is Iraqi citizens going to fight alongside the Russian army. Have you spoken with Iraqi parties to resolve the issue? How can it be resolved?
Yes, this is extremely sensitive and painful matter. Only deeply human level, I feel great sorrow for the young Iraqi men whom Russia has deceived and coerced into fighting a war that is not their own, and who are being sent without mercy into hopeless assaults. What Russia is doing by recruiting Iraqi youth is a crime against those Iraqi Arab boys, a crime against their families, and ultimately an act of contempt towards Iraq itself. Ukraine, we work closely with the Iraqi government on this issue, and the trust and mutual understanding between our countries is complete. The resolve with which the Iraqi government is fighting against the trafficking of its own citizens commands Ukraine's deepest respect.
What information do you have about citizens from how many countries going to Russia to fight against the Ukrainian army?
There are a lot of different figures we can see in the media, but various estimates [range] between 15,000 and 20,000 foreign recruits fighting in the Russian army. But among them, more than half, so more than 10,000 soldiers are from North Korea. They were sent by North Korean government. Other individuals from Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia are not sent by governments. They are recruited, brutally recruited by Russians. Russia has turned itself into a global broker of this.
Conversely, is there anyone from Iraq who went to fight alongside the Ukrainian army?
I don't know any information, I don't have any information about that, and I was especially interested. My authorities, my Ukrainian agencies, told me that they don't have any information about Iraqi citizens fighting for Ukraine. But, of course, foreign volunteers from more than 50 countries [are] serving in our armed forces. But I have to underline that they came of their own free will, driven by personal conviction. And the contrast is telling. People come to us as volunteers, but to Russia they are recruited, brutally recruited, they are deceived and coerced.
How many Ukrainian citizens are in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region?
It is very difficult to say because you know there… I don’t have an exact figure about it, but, of course, there are Iraqi citizens living, Kurdish people living in Ukraine studying in university or having some business, so, but the concrete figure I don't know. Anyway...
I mean, how many people living here are Ukrainian citizens in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region?
Oh, yes, there are some Ukrainians, of course, living in Iraq as a whole and in the Kurdish region of this country. But the concrete figures, I am not ready to tell you. Mostly, there are wives to Iraqi men, having a couple of mixed families. So the majority of them… But we don't have, for example, refugees from Ukraine in Iraq, if you are asking about that. I don't know the concrete figure. A few thousand…
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment