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International Legion (Ukraine)

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International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine
Інтернаціональний легіон територіальної оборони України
Founded27 February 2022; 2 years ago (2022-02-27)
Allegiance Ukraine
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
TypeForeign legion
RoleLight infantry
Militia

The International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Інтернаціональний легіон територіальної оборони України, romanized: Internatsionalnyi lehion terytorialnoi oborony Ukrainy) is a volunteer foreign legion military unit created by the Government of Ukraine on the request of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to fight in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is one of several Ukrainian volunteer battalions formed since 2014.[1]

History

Under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the unit was created to join the defense of Ukraine against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and its formation was announced in a statement by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on 27 February 2022, at around 11:00 local time.[2] Kuleba also promoted it on Twitter, inviting individuals to apply and stating that "together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin too."[3]

Those who want to join the unit are able to do so by contacting the Defense Attaché of the Ukrainian Embassy in their respective country.[4] A website was created to enlist foreigners as well.[5] The effort to raise an International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine bears resemblances to Kyiv's efforts during and since the 2014 hostilities in Donbas and Russo-Ukrainian War to recruit foreign volunteer battalions.[6][non-primary source needed] According to Zelenskyy, 16,000 foreign volunteers had attempted to join the Legion as of 3 March 2022.[7]

On 3 March 2022, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov warned that if any foreign troops are detained while under Ukrainian command, they will not be treated humanely or be given prisoner of war status.[8] Russia is a signatory to parts of the Third Geneva Convention but not the Mercenary Convention.

International response

 Australia

The Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison told reporters "our advice to all Australians is, do not travel to Ukraine... I would counsel against making assumptions about the legality of such activity at this point, given the uncertainties that are associated with the arrangements and the force that the President of Ukraine Zelenskyy is putting in place."[9]

 Canada

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says it is up to individual Canadians to decide whether they want to join Ukraine’s new foreign legion to help the country fight the Russian invasion: "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... Let me be clear: we are all very supportive of any form of support to Ukrainians right now".[10]

According to Statistics Canada, 3.9% of the Canadian population had Ukrainian ancestry in 2016.[11]

 Croatia

On February 27th, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković commented on news of the possible departure of Croatian volunteers to Ukraine, saying "Every departure to Ukraine is an act of individuals and they take personal responsibility".[12] Croatian military envoy to Moscow Željko Akrap was summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry on February 2nd and 3rd for allegations that 200 Croatian volunteers had joined the Ukrainian army. During the second call, the Russian side tried to hand over a protest note to Akrap but he refused to take it.[13]

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 you go as a mercenary.[14]

 Czech Republic

Citizens of the Czech Republic are allowed to join other countries' armed forces as foreign volunteers if they get an approval by the President of the Czech Republic. On the 28th of February, the president Miloš Zeman stated to be in favour of allowing potential volunteers to join the newly formed Ukrainian legion.[15] The Ministry of Defence already reported first applicants.[16] On March 3, after meeting, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and President Milos Zeman announced impunity for all Czech volunteers, who will join Ukrainian defence forces without official approval.[17]

 Denmark

Statements by the Prime Minister of Denmark on Sunday, February 27, 2022, indicated that at first glance, she did not believe it would be illegal for Danes to participate in the conflict.[18]

 Germany

On March 2, Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann declared the Federal Government would not prevent own citizens from going to Ukraine for fighting in the war. These persons also would not face criminal prosecution. This applies to potential missions for both Ukrainians and Russians.[19]

 Japan

On March 1, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said, "I am aware that the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan is calling for such (volunteer soldiers), but I would like you to refrain from traveling to Ukraine, regardless of your purpose."[20]

As of March 2, 2022, 70 Japanese men have applied to be volunteers of the volunteer foreign legion. 50 of these men are former members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and 2 of these men are former members of the French Foreign Legion.[21] It was reported that an unnamed company in Tokyo assisted the Embassy in recruiting potential candidates.[22]

 Latvia

The Saeima of Latvia unanimously approved immunity from prosecution for Latvian volunteers who wish to join combat on the side of the Ukrainian military.[23][24]

 Netherlands

On 28 February the Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, announced that joining the international foreign legion is legal. In support of her statement, she said; "it's only illegal to join a foreign army if that army is at war with the Netherlands."[25]

 Senegal

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. The Ukrainian ambassador to Senegal was summoned and asked to take down the post.[22]

 Singapore

Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs, said during a Parliament session on February 22 that Singaporeans must only fight for Singaporean national security interests and not fight in other places even for noble reasons.[26]

 South Korea

The South Korean government is taking an ambiguous stance with both the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of National Defense stating “특별히 언급할 건 없다” "We have nothing in particular to comment" regarding whether South Korean citizens can volunteer to join combat in Ukraine.[27]

On the one hand there have been warnings about personal repercussions. Ukraine is currently on the no travel list and trespassing without permission onto any Level 4 Travel Prohibition Zone is a violation of the Passport Act which carries a penalty of up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to ₩10 million (approx. $8,700).[27] The government also reminded that duty to defend Korea comes first and any South Korean men under 25 years of age who enlist in the Ukrainian military without first completing national service can be charged for violating Article 70 of the Military Service Act for up to three years, unless they obtain permission from the commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration.[27] Some legal experts also warned that it might set a dangerous precent of mercenaries joining terrorist groups abroad.[27]

However, other prominent legal experts have provided very different advice to the government, stating that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not a designated terrorist organization therefore it does not set any unwanted precedents, exemptions can apply when it is for "urgent humanitarian assistance" even to conflict zones, and that private citizens joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion could be allowed so long as it's reported as an "Overseas Job Experience".[27] The government states it would "prefer" if volunteers don't join but also strongly hinted it won't actively prohibit South Korean citizens trying to join combat in Ukraine ("적극적으로 금지하고 나서는 것도 아니다.").[27]

On March 3, 2022 the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul reported it had received applications from dozens of South Korean volunteers, some of whom are highly trained soldiers the Embassy wants to "immediately" send to join combat in Ukraine.[28][27]

 Taiwan

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded in a press conference for a question regarding any Taiwanese national whom want 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."[29] "The government fully understands the sentiment of its nationals who want to stand for righteousness and give their support to Ukraine. However, on the standpoint of protecting the safety of its people and the risk of war, the government advises its nationals to avoid going there." and reiterated "in order to urge Russia to stop its military aggression against Ukraine, Taiwan will participate in the economic sanctions imposed on Russia along with the international community."[29][30]

Due to no formal diplomatic relation between Ukraine and Taiwan, 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.[30]

 United Kingdom

The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom Liz Truss 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. And absolutely, if people want to support that struggle, I would support them in doing that."[31] However, Boris Johnson's office did not endorse Truss's statement with it alluding to language on the Foreign Secretary's website stating that traveling to Ukraine to fight in the foreign legion could lead to prosecution under the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870.[32]

 United States

The United States Department of State formally advised all Americans not to travel to Ukraine.[33] According to the Ukrainian embassy in Washington D.C, 3,000 American citizens have volunteered to fight for Ukraine.[34]

See also

Historical

References

  1. ^ ANDREW HAY AND ROD NICKEL, Reuters (1 Mar 2022) Americans, Canadians answer Ukraine call for foreign fighters
  2. ^ Taylor, Will (27 February 2022). "Liz Truss backs Brits who want to fight Russia in Ukraine's 'international legion'". LBC News.
  3. ^ Anders Anglesey (2022-02-27). "Ukraine creates foreign legion as volunteers from abroad join the fight". Newsweek. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  4. ^ "The International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine was created". VisitUkraine.Today. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. ^ https://ukrforeignlegion.com/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ Grasmeder, Elizabeth M.F. (2021). "Leaning on Legionnaires: Why Modern States Recruit Foreign Soldiers". International Security. 46 (1): 147–195. doi:10.1162/isec_a_00411. S2CID 236094319. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Zelensky says 16,000 foreigners have volunteered to fight for Ukraine against Russian invasion". The Washington Post. 3 March 2022.
  8. ^ Lemon, Jason. "Russia Vows Prosecution of Foreign Fighters After 16K Join Ukraine". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  9. ^ "Scott Morrison advises Australians against travelling to Ukraine to fight Russian invasion". SBS News. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  10. ^ "Up to Canadians whether they fight for Ukraine foreign legion, Foreign Minister says". The Globe and Mail. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity Highlight Tables - Ethnic Origin, both sexes, age (total), Canada, 2016 Census – 25% Sample data". 2.statcan.gc.ca. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  12. ^ "Plenković o hrvatskim dragovoljcima koji idu u Ukrajinu i trebaju li se bojati kaznenog progona: "Idu tamo na osobnu odgovornost"" [Plenković on Croatian volunteers going to Ukraine and whether they should be afraid of criminal prosecution: "They go there on personal responsibility"]. Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). 27 February 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  13. ^ Žabec, Krešimir (3 March 2022). "Pogledajte trenutak kada je hrvatski vojni ataše odbio prosvjednu notu ruskog ministarstva: 'Jako su se iznenadili'" [Take a look at the moment when the Croatian military attache rejected the protest note of the Russian ministry: ‘They were very surprised’]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  14. ^ Zebić, Enis; Čilić, Una (1 March 2022). "Iz Hrvatske na ratište u Ukrajini samo na 'osobnu odgovornost'" [From Croatia to the battlefield in Ukraine only on 'personal responsibility']. Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Croatian). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Zeman se staví příznivě k výjimce, aby mohli Češi bojovat na Ukrajině | ČeskéNoviny.cz". www.ceskenoviny.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  16. ^ "První Češi se hlásí o možnost bojovat na Ukrajině. Zeman to nebude blokovat - Seznam Zprávy". www.seznamzpravy.cz. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  17. ^ "Češi mohou jít bojovat jako dobrovolníci na Ukrajinu - Forum 24". www.forum24.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  18. ^ Sweeney, Don (1 March 2022). "Ukraine asks foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia. Here's what we know". Miami Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ 02.03.2022, 16:05 Uhr (1970-01-01). "Nach Aufruf für internationale Legion: Deutsche dürften an Ukraine-Krieg teilnehmen – auch für Russland - Politik - Tagesspiegel" (in Template:De icon). Tagesspiegel.de. Retrieved 2022-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  20. ^ Kaite, Yusuke; Hatakeyama, Takashi (2022-03-01). "ウクライナ「義勇兵」に日本人70人が志願 50人が元自衛官" [70 Japanese Volunteer in Ukraine, 50 Former Self-Defense Force Members]. Mainishi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  21. ^ Saito, Mari; Lies, Elaine. "Volunteers flock to fight for Ukraine in pacifist Japan". Reuters. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  22. ^ a b "Senegal calls Ukraine embassy war recruitment post illegal, summons ambassador". Reuters. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  23. ^ Reuters (2022-02-28). "Latvia allows its citizens to fight in Ukraine". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-02-28. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ "Saeima moves to let Latvians fight for Ukraine without fear of prosecution". Lsm.lv. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  25. ^ "Ollongren: aansluiten bij krijgsmacht Oekraïne mag, maar wordt zeer afgeraden". Hartvannederland. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  26. ^ https://mothership.sg/2022/02/can-singaporeans-join-ukraine-foreign-legion/ [bare URL]
  27. ^ a b c d e f g "우크라 "한국인 수십명 자원병 지원"…정부 "형사처벌 가능성"" [Ukraine "Dozens of Korean volunteer fighters apply"... Government "prosecution possible"]. Joongang Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  28. ^ "[우크라 침공] 한국인 수십명 '외인부대' 자원…"문의 빗발쳐"" [[Ukraine Invasion] Dozens of Koreans volunteer for 'Foreigner Unit'... "Overwhelming number of inquiries"]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  29. ^ a b Kelvin Chen (3 March 2022). "Foreign ministry discourages Taiwanese from joining Ukrainian foreign legion". Taiwan News. Retrieved 5 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ a b "台人想加入義勇軍？ 外交部：建議避免前往烏克蘭" [Taiwanese people want to join International Legion of Ukraine? Ministry of Foreign Affairs: suggesting not to go there] (in Chinese). Liberty Times. 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  31. ^ "UK's Liz Truss: I support Brits who take up arms against Putin". POLITICO. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  32. ^ Walker, Peter (28 February 2022). "No 10 distances itself from Truss comments on UK volunteers for Ukraine". the Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  33. ^ Patteson, Callie. "Americans discouraged from going to Ukraine to fight Russia". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  34. ^ Shull, Abbie (3 March 2022). "Ukraine says 3,000 Americans have volunteered to fight Russian invaders". Business Insider. Retrieved 4 March 2022.

External links

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