It is illegal for Serbian citizens to enlist in the International Legion under Serbian law. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba claimed that by 6 March 2022 more than 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries had enlisted to fight for Ukraine; several thousand more reportedly joined after the announcement. Georgians have supported Ukraine since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian conflicts. [7][8] Kuleba promoted the unit on Twitter, inviting individuals to apply and stating that "together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin too. [59], The first photo of International Legion distributed by Ukraine reportedly showed Lithuanian volunteers. [141], Croatian law penalizes organizing the departure or going to war in another country if it violates the constitutional order of that country, undermines the territorial integrity of the country and if the person is a mercenary. Ukraine has received more than . February 27, 2022, the president of Ukraine called the foreigners wishing to stand for the defense of the world's security, to join the special unit of the International Legion of territorial defense. Firm figures are hard to come by, but in early March the Ukrainian Defense Ministry estimated that 20,000 people had volunteered to join its foreign forces, hastily created three days after the . They are commonly referred to as Ukrainian . What we need are experienced, seasoned fighters," said Damien Magrou, spokesperson for the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, in a March 15 interview with CTV. "[259] However, then prime minister Boris Johnson's office did not endorse Truss's statement. [122], As of July 6, three Brazilian volunteers were killed fighting in Ukraine. [280], Under Article 425 of the Vietnamese Criminal Code, it states that anyone who fights as a mercenary to fight against another country will be imprisoned from 5 to 15 years. Step 3. [16][17], While Rkawek said that some foreign fighters that traveled to Ukraine in 2014 held extremist political beliefs and supported the Azov Battalion or the Russian separatist forces in Donbas, the foreign fighters travelling to Ukraine in early 2022 "don't appear to be motivated, as a group, by a certain set of ideological tropes. [224], Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded a question in a press conference regarding the official stance towards any Taiwanese national who wants to join the International Legion in the war of Ukraine, stated "the government's consistent position is to call on all Taiwanese nationals to avoid traveling to Ukraine, due to the deteriorating situation in there. [258], Liz Truss, then Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom said "the people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but also for the whole of Europe because that is what President Vladimir Putin is challenging. [127], A Bulgarian citizen has declared he intends to go to Ukraine to join the International Legion, according to the Telegraph newspaper. [82] As of 7 March 2022, it is estimated around 200 Dutchmen have attempted to join the legion at the Ukrainian embassy in The Hague. Foreign fighters can be sentenced to up to seven years upon return to India. Belgium discourages its citizens from enlisting. "[189], As of 2 March 2022, 70 Japanese men have applied to be volunteers of the volunteer foreign legion. symbol. [228][229] The Ukrainian Embassy declined to verify the number of South Korean volunteer soldiers who have departed for Ukraine, citing "security reasons". 7 steps. [61] Despite this, an unknown number of Vietnamese military veterans have expressed their desire to help the Ukrainians. Step 1. Any Spaniard who is neither a soldier nor a member of the. [79], On 7 March 2022, Time reported the Ukrainian embassy in Norway estimated 300 Norwegian nationals had signed up to volunteer at their embassy. During the second call, the Russian side tried to hand over a protest note to Akrap but he refused to take it. [112] However, Time reported on 7 March 2022 that Belgium was dissuading its veterans from joining the International Legion. [109], On 30 March 2022, it was reported that more Belarusian volunteers will be assigned to another volunteer unit called the Pahonia Regiment. [70], Herv Grandjean, a spokesperson for France's Ministry for the Armed Forces, said individual volunteers could be "integrated in a body of Ukrainian volunteers" and "we cannot prevent them from leaving, (but) nor can we sanction that type of project." ", "Guerre en Ukraine: est-ce que des Belges peuvent aller combattre? Vitaliy Mukhin, spokesman for the Government, did not specify the concrete number of Portuguese who are already in Ukrainian territory. [263] The Times reported that over 150 former paratroopers who served in the War in Afghanistan had joined and were travelling to the front line. 129. International Legion of Defense for the Ukraine Retweeted. [139], On 4 March 2022, Colombian newspaper El Espectador reported that at least 50 former Colombian soldiers will join the International Legion in Ukraine. [257], Turkey does not have a law that bars foreign fighters, but frequently prosecutes them upon return to Turkey for violating criminal or anti-terror laws. It is illegal for Singaporean citizens to enlist in the International Legion under Singaporean law. By Howard Altman and Philip Athey. People were asked not to bring their own weapons to Ukraine. [34], On 7 March 2022, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that more than 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries have volunteered to fight for Ukraine. 32. [29] The necessary probation period is the duration of the war. Regrouping veterans from Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa and Poland. ], On 9 March 2022, the National Post reported that an anonymous representative of the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine had confirmed 550 Canadians were currently in the Canadian Ukrainian Brigade fighting in Ukraine. Turmoil for Canadian-led foreign battalion in Ukraine", "Former Russian Soldiers Join Ukraine Against Putin's Invasion, Kyiv Says", "Chechen and Tatar Muslims take up arms to fight for Ukraine | DW | 24.03.2022", " : ", " ", " ", " ", "Ukraine forms special forces unit for foreign fighters: The special forces unit, separate from the recently established International Defense Legion, is already operational and in combat with Russian forces, GUR claimed", "Freiwillige Kmpfer in der Ukraine: Aus Sri Lanka an die Front bei Charkiw", "Ukraine's bid to recruit fighters from Africa sparks uproar: Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria have criticized Ukraine's efforts to enlist international fighters as it resists the Russian invasion. [279], Jos David Chaparro, a Venezuelan from San Cristbal who settled in Kyiv in the early 90s and served as Venezuela's charg d'affaires in Moscow between 2001 and 2005, enlisted in the Territorial Defense Forces in the second day of the invasion and became the commander of a division of Ukrainian volunteers. fightforua.org", "Exclusive: So many Canadian fighters in Ukraine, they have their own battalion, source says", "Twee Belgische militairen zijn naar Oekrane getrokken om mee te vechten tegen Rusland", "Small number of New Zealand personnel fighting in Ukraine - former defence minister", "Kiwis 'could join Ukraine revenge mission', "Dy shqiptar po luftojn n Ukrain, thot komandanti i Legjionit t Vullnetarve t Huaj", "Incompetence or the realities of war? Nu-mi nchipui cum ar fi s nu ai niciun ajutor", "Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv invites Algerian fighters to Ukraine to 'protect world security', "Portparol Meunarodne legije u Ukrajini: Ovde Hrvati i Srbi ratuju rame uz rame", "S'pore citizens' duty is to S'pore: Vivian Balakrishnan on whether S'poreans can fight in Ukraine for Ukrainians", "Embassy: Some 100 S. Koreans Have Volunteered to Fight in Ukraine", "Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber claims he left for Ukraine to participate in war as volunteer", "Rhee Keun-led team goes to Ukraine to fight against invader", "(LEAD) S. Korean volunteers deployed to front-line units in Ukraine: official", "Koreans in Ukraine end up on front lines", Ken Rhee gives an update of his whereabouts in Ukraine through Instagram, "Injured Ken Rhee expected back in Korea soon", "Injured South Korean fighter back from Ukraine faces investigation", ", ' ' 625 " "()", "S. Korea verifying Russia's data on deaths of 4 volunteer fighters in Ukraine", "678 frivilliga svenskar strider i Ukraina", "Indigenous Taiwanese man volunteers for Ukrainian Foreign Legion", "Taiwanese man denied entry into Ukrainian Foreign Legion - Focus Taiwan", "Taiwanese man takes up arms to defend adopted homeland Ukraine - Focus Taiwan", "2nd Taiwanese enlists in Ukrainian foreign legion", "Taiwanese man now fighting for Ukraine's foreign legion", "Wary of China threat, Taiwanese join Ukraine's fight against Russia", "Death of Taiwanese soldier exposes Kyiv's China dilemma", "Hualien man becomes 1st Taiwanese combatant to die in Ukraine war", "No Thai military volunteers in Ukraine, says charge d'affaires", "Savan iindeki ailesini kurtarmak iin Ukrayna ordusuna gnll yazlan Trk: Silahm alarak ordudan karttlar, 'Trkiye hkmeti, Trk milis almayn talebi iletti' dediler", "UK's Liz Truss: I support Brits who take up arms against Putin", "No 10 distances itself from Truss comments on UK volunteers for Ukraine", "Liz Truss criticised for backing Britons who wish to fight in Ukraine", "British volunteers who travel to fight in Ukraine could violate terror laws", "Zelensky's call for volunteers to defend Ukraine heeded by thousands from abroad", "Britons heed Zelensky's call to arms and head to Ukraine", "Don't fight in Ukraine military boss tells Britons", "Serving Coldstream Guard leaves Windsor barracks to fight Russian forces", "British soldier arrested after unauthorized trip to join Ukraine's foreign legion", "Ukraine war: Britons held by rebels in Ukraine plead not guilty", "Britons held by Russian forces in Ukraine released", "Ukraine conflict: British man Scott Sibley killed by mortar fire - inquest", "Ukraine war: Former British soldier Jordan Gatley killed in fighting", "Ukraine war: Briton killed while volunteering in Ukraine, says sister", "Ukraine war: Briton Simon Lingard killed in conflict", "Two British aid workers were killed during Ukraine evacuation", "Americans discouraged from going to Ukraine to fight Russia", "Ukraine says 3,000 Americans have volunteered to fight Russian invaders", "Ukrainian embassy draws US citizens seeking to fight in war", "Un venezolano se uni a la resistencia ucraniana para defender Kiev", "Jos David Chaparro, es el 'comandante' venezolano de una pequea divisin de voluntarios en Ucrania (Fotos y Video)", "Un diputado y 3 exmilitares se unen a la defensa de Ucrania: "No me puedo sentar en casa", "Ukraine's foreign legion joins the battle against Russia", Rhee Ken remains in Ukraine after team passed into Poland, "RFK grandson Conor Kennedy reveals he secretly fought on frontline in Ukraine", "A Georgian commander fighting Russian forces in Ukraine says more international support will help defeat Putin", "MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance reveals he joined fight in Ukraine", "Former Gazprombank executive Igor Volobuev joins the Freedom to Russia Legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces", "The Venezuelan 'comandante' in Ukraine - la Prensa Latina Media", " ", "Russia targets Ukrainian military base near Polish border in escalation: US national security adviser says any fire on neighbour of Ukraine would trigger full-force Nato response", "The base attacked in western Ukraine has been a hub for foreign militaries", "Enthllt auch sterreicher kmpfen im Ukraine-Krieg", "Deutscher Sldner in der Ukraine: 'Da kommt keiner lebend raus', "3 Georgian volunteer fighters killed in Ukraine, says Georgia's parliament head", " ", "Georgian volunteer dies in war in Ukraine", " ", " ", "Yesterday, October 3, during the assault operation, the Kalinoski Regiment suffered losses. [202], The first photo distributed by Ukraine of the International Legion reportedly showed Mexican volunteers. The Representative Office of Poland in Taipei suggested that the Taiwanese volunteers first need to travel to Poland, and enlist with the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw, but the Polish Office in Taipei declined to comment when the press tried to verify, neither confirm nor deny that such information is held. [64], On 28 February, it was reported by Dnevnik.hr and Balkan Insight that Croatian fighters were already in Ukraine and more were intending to join them. And security of "sources and methods" is always a concern. Ukraine announced yesterday the establishment of the "International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine," a fighting force open to foreign fighters looking . In many ways, Ukraine's International Legion harkens back to the International Brigades, the storied volunteer formations fighting for the Republican Government during the Spanish Civil War in . [243], On 22 March, a Taiwanese Amis volunteer named Wang Jui-ti traveled to Helsinki to hand his application to join the Legion. On Feb. 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the formation of a foreign legion, called the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine, . Iron Navy has been active in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022 . [88], On 3 March, Senegal's foreign ministry condemned a social media post by the country's Ukrainian embassy calling for volunteers as illegal under Senegalese law. Adverts have seemingly . in the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for military service under a contract on a voluntary basis. [81], Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren advised Dutch nationals not to travel to Ukraine saying "The country's travel advice is red. [215], On 7 March 2022, Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that Nigerian citizens are not allowed to serve as mercenaries or foreign volunteers for Ukraine. Additionally, Dutch military code bars active Dutch soldiers from joining a foreign army and Dutch law bars civilians from enlisting in an enemy army in a war in which the Netherlands participates. Zelenskyy hopes to draw volunteers who will "defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine," Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.