The U.S. persuaded Russia on Thursday (June 16) to treat any American volunteers detained while fighting alongside Ukrainian troops as prisoners of war who would be treated humanely.
According to the State Department, a third American is believed to be missing in Ukraine, in addition to two military veterans who were reportedly captured by Russian forces in a pitched battle last week.
Prisoners of war must be "afforded the treatment and protections commensurate with their status, including humane treatment and fundamental method and fair-trial guarantees," according to State Department spokesman Ned Price.
According to family members and members of Congress, Alexander Drueke and Andy Huynh, both U.S. military veterans living in Alabama, lost contact with their family members last week while fighting with Ukrainian forces near the Russian border.
Price stated that the U.S. could not confirm details about the pair and that there had been reports of a third U.S. citizen going missing "in recent weeks."
The Geneva Conventions, which date back to the 19th century and were updated after World War II, define the rights of prisoners of war, including the prohibition of torture and the provision of medical care.
Under former President George W. Bush, the U.S. controversially labeled detainees in the "war on terror" as enemy combatants rather than prisoners of war, circumventing international law.
The families of two U.S. fighters taken by Putin's army in Ukraine are pleading with the Biden administration to negotiate their release, as fears grow that they will be sentenced to death by firing squad, similar to the two British fighters captured earlier this year.
As the situation in Ukraine worsens, the families of the two men are pleading with the government for assistance. Russia continues to move through eastern Ukraine, prompting military officials to admit yesterday that the numbers 'favor' Putin's forces so far.
Yesterday, the U.S. pledged another $1 billion in weapons and aid, despite accusations that the West has not done enough to assist Ukrainian President Zelensky and his men.
Russian President Vladimir Putin may offer difficult concessions in return for their release to the U.S. government. The two U.S. fighters were apprehended in the village of Izbytske, 30 miles northeast of Kharkiv, less than 5 miles from Russia's border.
While contributing billions of dollars in arms and economic aid to Ukraine, President Joe Biden's administration claims that the U.S. is not actively fighting Russia and has discouraged Americans from visiting the conflict zone.
