Americans, Japanese, Canadians, British, thousands of volunteers from around the world are going to Ukraine to fight for ''freedom''.
True that some have Ukrainian roots; others are military veterans with no family ties who have decided to fight with Ukraine’s army. It is said that fighters arrived from 52 countries, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Georgia, Sweden, Czech Republic, France, Belgium and Belarus.
For many, Ukraine, in their view, is now fighting Vladimir Putin and a 21st-century version of fascism. A clear echo of the Spanish Civil War when thousands of idealistic foreigners came to fight fascism between 1936 and 1938.
According to Reuters, dozens of former soldiers from the British army’s elite Parachute Regiment have reached Ukraine. Hundreds more will soon follow, one ex-soldier predicted. “They’re all highly, highly trained and have seen active service on numerous occasions,” the ex-soldier said. The Ukraine crisis would give them purpose, camaraderie and “a chance to do what they’re good at: fight.”
Gavrylko said he was aware of these historical echoes. Ukraine, in his view, was now fighting Vladimir Putin and a 21st-century version of fascism.“He wants to rebuild the Soviet Union as part of a Russian empire. It’s no secret,” he said. “Ukraine is in the middle of Europe. The west is pulling one way, Moscow another. Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland and Moldova are all on Putin’s list.” Asked why Putin had attacked Ukraine now, after 20 years in the Kremlin, he said: “I get the feeling he is very ill.” The Guardian-Luke Harding in Lviv Fri 11 Mar 2022 10.21 GMT
As images of Russian atrocities pile up, reports suggest the call has been widely heeded, with volunteers traveling from near and far to join — many from the Ukrainian diaspora, but also from further afield. According to Zelenskyy, more than 16,000 foreigners volunteered to fight in the first week of the conflict; just a few days later Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba put that number closer to 20,000. Fighters have reportedly arrived from 52 countries. Opinion by NAUREEN C. FINK and COLIN P. CLARKE 03/10/2022 12:09 PM ES-
In a parallel worlds Vladimir Putin declared that up to 16,000 volunteers from the Middle East will be deploying alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. Syria’s military has begun recruiting troops. Enlistment notices have been posted on regime linked websites in recent days, including profiles linked to the 4th Division, one of Bashar al-Assad’s core units. The promise of of $3,000 a month – a sum up to 50 times a Syrian soldier’s monthly salary will be very attractive to Syrian soldiers.
So it will be volunteers from around the world fighting mercenaries from Syria.
After two weeks, it is a clear recognition that the Russian invasion struggles to maintain momentum. It is a confirmation that Putin and Bashar are two faces of the same coin. Gone the pretense of respectability that Putin worked hard to project for decades. He is becoming a paria despite his rhetoric and propaganda campaign.
However it is important to explore the dangers of foreign fighters. Volunteering to fight for freedom may feel noble, but it adds some big risks to a volatile situation. Read the article below to explore the dangers.
Foreign Fighters Are Heading to Ukraine. That’s A Moment for Worry
Georgian civilian volunteers say goodbye to friends and family at Tbilisi international airport before leaving to join Ukraine's army to fight against Russia forces, on Feb. 28. | Daro Sulakauri/Getty Images
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