Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha of Panama stood before the United Nations Security Council in New York to make an urgent appeal: Russia and Ukraine must help ensure the safe return of Panamanian citizens who have been recruited into their war.
What Happened
Speaking at the Security Council, Panama’s top diplomat formally requested that both Moscow and Kyiv facilitate the safe return of Panamanians who have been recruited to fight in the war between the two countries. The appeal, delivered at the UN’s New York headquarters, elevates the issue to the highest level of international diplomacy and signals Panama’s determination to protect its citizens abroad.
The request places direct responsibility on both warring parties to cooperate in identifying and repatriating Panamanian nationals caught up in the conflict.
Background
The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, has drawn foreign fighters and recruits from many countries. Russia in particular has attracted foreign recruits, including from Latin America, through offers of pay and, in some cases, promises of citizenship. Media reports across the region have documented cases of Latin Americans traveling to Russia to join its armed forces, sometimes with tragic outcomes.
Panama, a small nation with no stake in the conflict, has faced growing concern from families and authorities about citizens who may have been recruited — whether through online offers, intermediaries, or deception about the nature of the work involved.
The UN Security Council, where Panama has sought to make its voice heard on the issue, is the world body’s most powerful forum for matters of international peace and security, making it a significant stage for the Central American nation’s appeal.
What This Means for Panama
The foreign minister’s appeal represents a firm consular-protection effort on behalf of Panamanians caught in one of the world’s deadliest conflicts. By addressing both Russia and Ukraine directly at the Security Council, Panama is pressing for concrete cooperation rather than quiet diplomacy.
For Panamanian families with relatives recruited into the war, the intervention offers a formal channel through which returns might be negotiated. For the government, it underscores its obligation — and determination — to safeguard citizens abroad, even in a distant conflict.
What to watch next: any response from Moscow or Kyiv to Panama’s request, follow-up consular efforts by the Panamanian Foreign Ministry, and whether other Latin American governments pursue similar appeals on behalf of their own recruited citizens.
This story was originally reported by Telemetro.