Following Ukraine’s call to foreign volunteers to join their fight against Russia, thousands have signed up from the United States, Canada, and Japan. Many are ex-servicemen, but there are also civilians: a cook and a comedian
Volunteers of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces talk to each other by a damaged vehicle at a checkpoint in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine. AP
More than a week after the Russian invasion, the war in Ukraine is escalating. The civilian death toll is on the rise, cities are falling to Russian troops, and now a fire at Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s biggest nuclear plant, has sent alarm bells ringing.
NATO countries are providing military aid to Ukraine and amid calls of help from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thousands of foreign fighters have volunteered to fight along with Ukrainian soldiers.
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On 27 February, the country created an “International Legion of Territorial Defence” to help them stand up to the Russian military, which is bigger and more powerful than theirs. “I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too,” said Dmytro Kuleba, minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine.
Another Canadian, a cook quit his job to fight alongside Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. He has no military training but that has not shaken his resolve. “I felt like I had to do something,” Bryson Woolsey told Reuters.
Around 70 Japanese, many former members of the country’s Self-Defense Forces and two veterans of the French Foreign Legion, have volunteered, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun, one of the leading newspapers in the country.
The Georgian National Legion, a volunteer unit comprising mostly Georgian soldiers, is ready to come to Ukraine’s defence. Among those who had signed up since the announcement of the legion are around 70 from the UK and 50 from the US, VICE World News reported. Mamuka Mamulashvili, leader of the Georgian National Legion, told the website that even before the invasion around 200 foreign fighters have volunteered. “They want to fight for freedom and they want to fight for democratic values,” he added.
How do you sign up to fight for Ukraine?
The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States posted a QR code on Twitter, which redirects to a Google form to enrol in the forces.
There’s a Reddit thread that calls for Canadian volunteers with expertise in firearms and automatic rifles, reports India Today. Another thread titled “Volunteers for Ukraine” is for those who are willing to travel to the conflict areas or those willing to provide any aid.
The Ukrainian embassy in Japan has been answering calls of volunteers but clarified that candidates must have “experience in Japan’s Self-Defence Forces or have undergone specialised training”.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian embassy in Japan wrote on Twitter that it was looking for volunteers with medical, IT, communication, or firefighting experience. It did not mention if the positions involved travelling to Ukraine, reports Reuters.
What are governments saying?
UK foreign secretary Liz Truss said that she supported those who might want to join the international force in Ukraine. Emphasising that this was a battle for democracy she told BBC that it was for people to make their own choice. The fight she said was “not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe”.
Canada’s foreign minister Melanie Joly echoed a similar view. While she said that the government had warned its citizens against travelling to Ukraine but Canadians can decide for themselves. “We understand that people of Ukrainian descent want to support their fellow Ukrainians and also that there is a desire to defend the motherland and in that sense, it is their own individual decision,” Joly told the media at a news conference held on Sunday.
Denmark and Norway have hinted that their citizens could respond to Zelenskky’s call.
However, Slovakia’s prosecutor general pointed out that it was a crime for citizens to fight for a foreign army, reports Vice World News.
and we have the 1st "no no." #Slovakia prosecutor general reminds us on #facebook it is a crime to fight in a "foreign army" i.e. #Ukraine. he s right, it s the law there. a q though – what about #foreignfighters who fought for "separatists" from 2014? pic.twitter.com/VjwNPv82J5
— Kacper Rekawek (@KacperRekawek) February 28, 2022
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has said that citizens should not secretly travel to Ukraine to take up arms. “I can understand, absolutely, the strong feelings and motivations for people to go… But I would say at this time, the legality of such actions is uncertain,” he added.
The United States too has issued a warning against travel to the war-hit country.
With inputs from agencies
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