Interview With Aiden Aslin British Mercenary

btw
thank you OP for posting this

a reply to: nolabel

The people cheering this on, and saying this journalist is well in line and fine, must think its perfectly fine when the Japenese and Viet Cong had our people on camera and TOTALLY thought everything they were forced to say as fact.

Its important to use a level head with these things and leave the bias out of it

originally posted by: nolabel
He is a British-Ukrainian national and current Ukrainian Marine who previously fought with the Kurdish YPG militia in Rojava, northern Syria.

He was fighting for something he believed in. Where he was they ran out of ammo and so had no choice but to surrender. He posted that they would have to surrender unless they got supplies. Which, obviously, they didn't get. Ergo: Became POW's.
The statements he has made since being captured have clearly been made under duress.

Eh.

I've seen "statements made under duress". Pilots shot down during the Gulf War, reading Sadaam's bull$h!t ranting off of a sheet of paper, comes to mind.

I believe that this fellow has been told to tread carefully on what he says.

Then again, he's being interviewed by a "Westerner", albeit one that has clearly sipped at least part of the Russian kool-aid cup. I don't remember many "Western" journalists debriefing NATO PoW's during the Middle East campaigns.

Whatever his reasoning was for becoming a merc, and whether or not he's under duress, doesn't diminish the torrent of pro-Ukrainian propaganda from Western media that is 100% bringing outsiders into fight for Ukraine. That's my view of the terrain, from someone who has no dog in this fight.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask



I think we are of a similar mindset.

Why this conflict isn't yet over, and why there hasn't been more substantive negotiations towards a peace settlement, it the most bothersome aspect of it all, for me at least.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened

That is close to how I feel about it. I don't know if he has been coached but I do at least get the feel that there are some things he is saying that he wouldn't normally say. Maybe he is smart to know what would help his case. After all he is facing the death penalty. He may not be lying but he is definitely adding some viewpoints that don't seem natural IMO.

originally posted by: SleeperHasAwakened
a reply to: ManBehindTheMask



I think we are of a similar mindset.

Why this conflict isn't yet over, and why there hasn't been more substantive negotiations towards a peace settlement, it the most bothersome aspect of it all, for me at least.

I absolutely agree, TBH it might just be my Tin Foil hat, but I fully believe this has something to do with The Great Reset and its needed to push the other countries into a point of breaking so they can implement it, and with Russia and Ukraine exporting so much to the outside world, War sure helps!

I dunno I could be wrong, I hope I am, but I ALSO hope that it all comes out in the wash, so many times in our recent past its all just been swept under the rug and we are left without any answers, and so the drum beats on......

a reply to: Grimpachi

Yes, completely agree.

I think Russia is employing him as a marker in the propaganda poker game.

But, like I said, .... I still haven't seen the Ukrainians play any hands.

Maybe they've recorded some coached, semi-scripted "Russia is wrong, bad and evil" interviews from Russian PoW's, but if so, I haven't seen them.

originally posted by: and14263
He's a mercenary mate. Fought in other countries prior to Ukraine. Joined the 36th in Ukraine as a mercenary.

His Twitter is entirely anti Russian .

He could well be speaking under duress but doesn't seem like it.

Well worth watching.

Really watching it in the states we have something called leading the witness. He's telling him what he wants to talk about and who he wants to talk about. He has to tell him whos in charge of Azov for example all I saw was a man in desperation telling his captors whatever they wanted to hear. Having been through combat I can tell you this is what happens when you accept xbox heros in your military he had no idea what true combat is like.

After that I will say I don't blame him he's facing the death penalty in Russia so will say anything he can to save his life. Even the interviewer reminds him hes facing a death penalty in Russia

originally posted by: SleeperHasAwakened
a reply to: ManBehindTheMask



I think we are of a similar mindset.

Why this conflict isn't yet over, and why there hasn't been more substantive negotiations towards a peace settlement, it the most bothersome aspect of it all, for me at least.

The answer to that is simple Putin thinks he can win this still so is unwilling to negotiate a peace treaty. If Ukraine starts winning in the east he will be negotiating quickly to hold on to possible gains, Until then he has every reason to continue and take more land.

a reply to: alldaylong

You need to identify your target before you squeeze the trigger.

Not everyone is wearing an armband.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened

He at least has a chance of survival with this. If he had tried to break out with the rest I doubt he would have been lucky.

RF posted the drone footage of that attempt and they never had a chance. The few survivors from that have also been in videos.

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

I have only watched just over half of the video so far as I am at work.

I agree with you about the reporter, seems more like a soft interrogation than an interview.

I didn’t catch anything so far that sounded like first hand knowledge of much controversial. Mostly what he had read and heard or agreeing with what the reporter said.

I’m not sure what to think yet but from what I saw it appears that he is being treated and fed decently.

This violates the Geneva Conventions. Under no circumstances should a POW be filmed and broadcast. I was against it when Ukraine did it(and worse) to Russian POW's and I will state my disapproval here as well...

That said I do agree with what he says. The Ukraine government is not completely without fault here. Actually from what I'm gathering is the Biden administration is more or less conducting the operations on the ground via military contractors. The only country currently blocking a peace agreement is America.

The Biden administration needs this war to justify their mistreatment of American citizens through sanctions that mainly hurt tax payers and laws and regulations that strip our freedoms.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened
He at least has a chance of survival with this.

Probably not much of a chance. Doesn't look like he's been beaten. That's a positive. Maybe they'll let him have a nice trial and execute him for murder.

The guy's an admitted mercenary. I doubt he's gonna get off light.

a reply to: JAY1980

It sounds like he requested interviews. He claims the Italian media interviewed him prior.

No sure if it makes any difference regarding the convention though.

This was a scummy, cringeworthy “interview” and Russia gets another strike against them from me.

At the moment it’s pretty much a tie for strikes. My belief so far is that we should stay far away from there.

he's a captured mercenary...not a POW
so not sure how any of the Geneva convention applys

a reply to: lasvegasteddy

And I would bet thats why they did it. He isn't covered by the geneva convention...

There have been other videos from volunteers stating that the Ukrainian army is using them for Cannon fodder. They get no plates, old used kit and if they're lucky they get a single full clip of ammo. Anyone who volunteered to fight in this war deserves what they get. This is not our fight and potato Joe is going to get us destroyed in a nuclear war.

originally posted by: lasvegasteddy
he's a captured mercenary...not a POW
so not sure how any of the Geneva convention applys

Is he though? He joined the Ukrainian military was assigned to a unit for 2 years. He even applied to e a Ukrainian citizen doesnt sound like a merc to me. Seems like Russia is just doing the same as they claimed in mariopal they effectively gave no quarter and wonder why they didn't surrender.

a reply to: lasvegasteddy

No, he isn't a mercenary.
He is married to a Ukrainian woman.
He moved to Ukraine a few years before the invasion and has served with a regular Ukrainian Army unit since 2018.
He is not a mercenary.

But I don't think you'll allow little things like facts get in the way of you swallowing Russian propaganda.

Surely you understand that there is nearly always a certain amount of coercion - of varying types and to varying degrees - in situations like this?