(PresidentialHill.com)- Many countries are worried that if Russia does indeed follow through with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine that it will likely carry out genocide of any of its dissidents, critics and “vulnerable populations.”
Recently, a letter sent from Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the ambassador to the United Nations, to Michelle Bachelet, the high commissioner for human rights at the UN, was obtained by The Washington Post.
In the letter, Crocker wrote that America has “credible information that indicates Russian forces are creating lists of identified Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation.”
She further wrote the U.S. is convinced that the Kremlin would “likely target those who oppose Russian actions, including Russian and Belarusian dissidents in exile in Ukraine, journalists and anti-corruption activists, and vulnerable populations such as religious and ethnic minorities and LBGTQ+ persons.”
Following this information being published in The Post — and picked up by media outlets across the world — the Kremlin vehemently denied the information. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said the information was “absolute fiction.”
During a call with media outlets, he said:
“Do you realize that this is an absolute canard, a lie? It is absolute fiction. There is no such list. It’s a fake.”
Despite this, Crocker and officials in the Biden administration insist that it’s very likely that Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, is very likely to commit violent acts of atrocity and genocide against people who are outspoken against him and the Russian cause.
In other words, Russia would be looking to wipe out any people, or groups of people, who are not likely to fall in line as the Kremlin seeks to apparently re-form the Soviet Union — or at least parts of it.
In her letter, Crocker writes Russia is likely to commit “human rights violations and abuses,” using extreme force against any protesters. She continues:
“These acts, which in past Russian operations have included targeted killings, kidnappings/forced disappearances, unjust detentions, and the use of torture, would likely target those who oppose Russian actions.
“We also have credible information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance from civilian populations.”
This issue isn’t just being raised by Crocket, either. Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, spoke to the Security Council at the UN last week about the situation. In December of last year, it was also a topic of conversation at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.
The letter comes in the wake of other reports being released that said Putin had given some of his top military commanders the go-ahead to invade Ukraine.
The first move in that direction actually happened Monday, when Putin publicly recognized two pro-Russian territories in eastern Ukraine as independent states. Then, he sent in troops on what he termed a “peacekeeping” mission to protect their interests.
It could be step one in a much bigger invasion happening in the near future.
