Ukrainian vice PM appeals to Georgia, others to accept Crimean Tatars to help them evade fight against Ukraine

The Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, Iryna Vereshchuk, has requested the governments of Georgia, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania not to ban the Crimean Tatars from crossing their borders to prevent their sending to the battarfield by Russia against Ukraine, Vereshchuk said via the Telegram channel.

She stated that the occupation authorities appointed by Russia in Crimea had launched illegal mobilization, in line with the Kremlin’s directives. 

“They started mass mobilization of Crimean Tatars and other indigenous populations of Crimea to fight on the side of the occupiers in the war. Crimean Tatars and other indigenous peoples of Ukrainian Crimea are trying their best to evade being mobilized into the enemy’s army,” Vereshchuk said.

The official stressed that the Ministry of Reintegration of Ukraine had received information that Polish, Baltic and Georgian border guards sometimes refused Crimean Tatars to cross their borders. 

“We ask our friendly countries to facilitate the migration of the indigenous peoples of Crimea from the territory of the Ukrainian Crimea and the territory of the Russian Federation to third countries. Now the support of the indigenous peoples of Crimea from the international community is more important than ever!” said Vereshchuk. 

According to the decree of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on September 21, Russia started a partial military mobilization for the war in Ukraine. According to the Russian Defense Minister, the mobilization will affect 300,000 reservists.

After the announcement of mobilization, thousands of men are trying to leave Russia. There are kilometer-long queues on the borders of Russia-Finland, Russia-Georgia and Russia-Kazakhstan.

Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in early 2014.