【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】According to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, on December 1st, Russia accused the US and Europe of recruiting mercenaries from the Philippines to fight in Ukraine, but the Philippines denied the allegations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said to TASS on Friday that "the U.S. representative" has already started actions in the Philippines, recruiting local citizens to fight for the Ukrainian army.

Zakharova pointed out that according to the information received, the company responsible for the recruitment is a company named "RMS International" with its headquarters in Florida, USA. They prioritize recruiting retired Philippine police officers, security personnel, and military personnel, and the German embassy in the Philippines issues Schengen work visas for these individuals.

"Who do you think is the employer listed in the documents?" Zakharova said, "It's a private security company located in Berlin. After arriving in Germany, these recruited personnel are transferred to other EU countries, such as Poland, and then to Ukraine. Who can guarantee they won't be sent elsewhere? There isn't any."

Zakharova further alleged that the training of these personnel takes place at a facility operated by RMS International in San Fernando, Pampanga province, Philippines, where the recruited individuals can receive $5000 per month.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry Official Social Media

Subsequently, both the Philippines and Ukraine denied Russia's accusations. The presidential spokesperson of the Philippines, Claire Castro, called it "fake news." On November 28th, the Ukrainian Embassy in the Philippines also stated in a statement that the Russian accusations were "baseless fabrications," part of "a systematic disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing Ukraine and its defense forces."

The Philippine Star reported that Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, the German Ambassador to the Philippines, also responded on the same day, saying, "We firmly reject and deny these baseless accusations," and explained that Schengen visas cannot be used for employment, and the German embassy only issues corresponding visas for jobs within Germany, and the visa program has never been used for any deployment to Ukraine.

Sylwia Monika Gorska, an international relations scholar specializing in Southeast Asia, told the Hong Kong media that earlier last week, similar suspicious conscription posters appeared in Suwon City, South Korea, calling on local residents to fight in Ukraine, but there is currently no evidence to prove their authenticity.

Although these pieces of information may not be true, Gorska believes that if the governments of the relevant countries fail to clearly distinguish between private actions and official policies, it may lead to diplomatic troubles.

Anita Abbott, chairman of the New Zealand Asia-Pacific Security Innovation Forum, said that this move could be a signal from Russia to the Philippines, and in the future, it might combine with diplomatic actions to pressure the country. For example, the Philippines relies heavily on imported oil, and Russia might coordinate with Iran on oil supplies, increasing the cost of oil imports for the Philippines.

In recent times, the Philippines has had frequent interactions with Ukraine. On November 28th, President Marcos of the Philippines and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine spoke on the phone, reiterating the friendly relationship between the two countries and discussing potential areas of cooperation. In September, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Philippines stated that work on a memorandum of understanding in the defense field was being advanced, and the next step would be to launch joint drone production in the Philippines.

Regarding this cooperation between Ukraine and the Philippines, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated at the time, "China has always believed that cooperation between countries should contribute to promoting regional peace and stability."

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7578887153497817646/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.