Far Fewer Foreigners Fighting in and for Ukraine than Moscow Claims or Experience of Earlier Wars Elsewhere Might Suggest

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 1 – Moscow’s claims to the contrary and the experience of earlier wars might suggest, only several thousand foreigners are now fighting in Ukraine on Ukraine’s side, the result, an investigation by The Insider says, of both internal Ukrainian norms and the policies of Ukraine’s allies, none of whom actively supports the participation of their nationals.

            That was true before Putin began his expanded war in Ukraine in 2022 and remains the case now, journalist Vyacheslav Yepuryanu says, even though at that time, Kyiv said it was prepared to take in 20,000 volunteers from other countries to help it repulse the Russian invaders (theins.ru/politika/281613).

            But the actual number of such people has not risen above 2,000, he continues, not only because Ukraine has not always made it easy for such people to take part and pays them so little but because Ukraine’s allies have actively opposed participation in the war lest that antagonize Moscow or create other problems for themselves.

            This is in sharp contrast to the Spanish civil war when 30,000 foreign volunteers fought Franco’s forces and the Winter War in Finland when more than 10,000 volunteers from abroad helped Helsinki resist the Soviet invasion.  And it also means, Yepuryanu says, that Ukraine has attracted to its colors far fewer Europeans than did even the Islamic State.