The On Deadline Podcast - Would Russia really execute two American POW's captured while fighting with Ukraine; and if they did, would that draw the U.S. into war with Russia?

Would Russia really execute two American POW's captured while fighting with Ukraine; and if they did, would that draw the U.S. into war with Russia?

06/21/22 • 8 min

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As Russia's war grinds on in Eastern Ukraine, we're learning a bit more about the fates of two Americans who were volunteers fighting for the Ukrainian army when they were captured by Russians.

A Kremlin spokeperson has acknowledged that the two Americans ... both military vets ... were in Russian custody. He called them "soldiers of fortune" and said the Geneva conventions and the wartime protections they provide fighters do not apply in their case, since Russia considers them mercenaries.

The two Americans were fighting with a small group of foreign soldiers and went missing in action when their platoon came under heavy fire in a village near Kharkiv, which is about 25 miles from the Russian border.

On Russian state television there have already been suggestions that the two men should be tried and executed for war crimes.

Can and would the U-S try to help free them?

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As Russia's war grinds on in Eastern Ukraine, we're learning a bit more about the fates of two Americans who were volunteers fighting for the Ukrainian army when they were captured by Russians.

On Russian state television there have already been suggestions that the two men should be tried and executed for war crimes.

Can and would the U-S try to help free them?

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

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undefined - Russia & Putin playing the long game in Ukraine: if they can keep the war grinding in the Donbas into the winter, can Putin outlast the Ukrainians, NATO and the West?

Russia & Putin playing the long game in Ukraine: if they can keep the war grinding in the Donbas into the winter, can Putin outlast the Ukrainians, NATO and the West?

The Russians hoped to pull off a lightening strike on Kyiv and rule most of Ukraine within weeks, when it launched the invasion of its neighbor back in February.

And in the weeks afterwards when Russian forces were forced to retreat from the capital, Ukrainians hoped they had Russians on the run.

Four months later and the war in Ukraine could last well beyond anyone's expectations. NATO's Secretary General says Russia's war in Ukraine could go on for years and the effort requires sustained Western support during that time.

This comes as Ukraine's deputy defense minister says Russia has ordered its military to overrun the entire eastern Donbas region by next Sunday. That territory could prove difficult for Ukraine to win back once the Russians have dug in with defenses.

And yet the Ukrainian government and military stands by its goals in this war: win back every square inch of Ukrainian territory taken by Russian, including Crimea.

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undefined - While it's defense of the east isn't going great, Ukraine did get one piece of hopeful news today: it could soon be a member of the European Union

While it's defense of the east isn't going great, Ukraine did get one piece of hopeful news today: it could soon be a member of the European Union

While Ukraine's defense of the eastern region of its country against Russia's onslaught of artillery and missiles isn't going great, there was one promising development for the beleaguered nation: Ukraine is now one step closer to becoming a member of the European Union.

EU leaders granted the country "candidate status," which it also gave to Moldova, another Eastern European country living under the thumb of Russia.

This move is likely to anger the Russians.

But it's precisely because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine that the EU is moving so quickly to bring in these new countries. Ukraine's acceptance into the E-U is not guaranteed, and it's not without complications ... several EU member countries expressed reservations of admitting a large, war-torn country.

Meanwhile Ukraine is still aspiring to be a member of NATO.

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