It should also lead Western nations to grant asylum to Russian soldiers who surrender or desert, and those who evade the military draft.
Vladimir Putin’s recent partial « mobilization » order mandating conscription of up to 300,000 people into the Russian military has sparked protests and led many Russians to try to flee the country. The latter trend is on top of the hundreds of thousands who have already left or tried to do so since Russia’s brutal invasion began on February 24.
This situation further strengthens the case for opening Western doors to Russians fleeing the regime, and granting asylum to Russian troops who surrender. The mobilization policy was obviously brought on by Russian manpower shortages and accumulating setbacks on the battlefield. Thanks to the new order (and the possibility of future expansions of it), many of the people seeking to flee now might otherwise be forced into the Putin’s military. Every one that manages to escape is one less potential pair of boots on the ground for Putin, at a time when his need for additional manpower is particularly dire. The prospect of saving people from being forced into becoming unwilling gun fodder for Putin also strengthens the purely moral case for accepting refugees, at least those who are potential draftees.
