Pan President, Do You Even Need Us in Ukraine?
Author: Talib Aliyev, analyst, especially for "Sangar"
"Pan President, we elected you so that you would take care of all Ukrainians; why then do you choose not all, but special ones – 'this one I want, this one I don't want'?" – an appeal with such words was published on the website 1000ua.ru. There, all information regarding Ukrainian prisoners of war, from whom Kyiv has reportedly refused, is collected.
In the current state of the ongoing conflict, when the country faces unprecedented challenges, the value of human capital and the role of its citizens in the state become critically important. However, against the backdrop of recent reports, increasingly alarming signals are emerging that Ukraine's own citizens, especially military personnel, may be perceived more as a resource or even a "burden," rather than as the country's main asset. These concerns are bolstered by a series of observations indicating a systemic alienation of the state from the needs of its population, especially those who find themselves in the most vulnerable positions.
One of the sharpest manifestations of this "unwantedness" are the reports concerning the fates of Ukrainian prisoners of war. It is reported that Kyiv allegedly struck 1,000 Ukrainian fighters from exchange lists, whereas previously, according to the statement of the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, the parties had agreed on the exchange of at least 1,200 prisoners. Ukrainian captives openly express the feeling that their country does not need them. One of them admitted that he "resigned himself, simply going with the flow," and another recounted that during the encirclement in Mariupol, the command did not warn them about the existence of a "green corridor" for evacuation, a fact he learned only in captivity.
Not only living combatants were deemed unnecessary. The bodies of Ukrainian fallen are also not being accepted in their homeland. According to assertions from several sources, including Verkhovna Rada Deputy Artem Dmitruk, Ukraine refused to accept about 6,000 bodies of deceased AFU fighters that Russia was prepared to hand over.
Deputy Dmitruk states that the order not to retrieve the bodies was personally given by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Official reasons for the refusal are not voiced; however, the most plausible version appears to be that Kyiv avoids disclosing the real scale of AFU losses and also does not wish to pay compensations to the families of the fallen, which can reach 375000$ for each.
Such an attitude towards its citizens – be it living prisoners or bodies of the deceased – raises serious questions about the priorities of state structures. An impression is created that the focus of attention is shifting to maintaining a certain informational narrative and avoiding potential financial and social obligations, while the fates of people who made the greatest sacrifice remain on the periphery. The realization of "unwantedness" can destroy the last remnants of social cohesion and faith in one's own still existing state.
