American veterans are heading to Ukraine to join the country's fight against Russia: report

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A growing number of American veterans are preparing to join Ukrainians in their battle against Russian military forces, The New York Times reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent days called for an "international legion" of volunteers, and many civilians from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have heeded his call.

Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs, last week echoed the sentiment, encouraging volunteers to come to the country to battle Russia, while also highlighting the German occupation during World War II.

"Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too," he said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/american-veterans-are-heading-to-ukraine-to-join-the-countrys-fight-against-russia-report/ar-AAUEDcD

[SheltieLover]

1. K&R!

[Hoyt]

2. Not sure Ukraine needs mercenaries right now, but who knows?

[underpants]

4. More trigger fingers always helps

Especially experienced ones.

[Renew Deal]

5. They're not mercenaries

[Hoyt]

6. Yes they are, and not a good idea right now.

[mopinko]

7. i dont hear anyone offering to pay them.

unless you know otherwise, they are volunteers.

[Hoyt]

9. Mercanaries and/or volunteers aren't going to help right now. Probably get more people killed.

Maybe medics and other medical veterans can really help.

[Renew Deal]

22. Ukraine is only taking volunteers.

Meaning they’re not getting paid, so they’re not mercenaries.

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-3000-americans-have-volunteered-to-fight-russian-invaders-2022-3

“ Ukrainian officials say they are not hiring anyone and are only opening the door for volunteers that wish to help.”

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. As I understand it they're joining the Ukrainian Foreign Legion

which means they're no more mercenaries than the Americans who went to Spain to fight fascists in 1936.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

15. Ukraine has asked for foreign fighters to help fight the Russian invaders.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article258873508.html

Ukraine asks foreign volunteers to join fight against Russia. Here’s what we know

An appeal by Ukraine for foreign volunteers to join the fight against the Russian invasion has been welcomed by some European nations.

Volunteers can join the new International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine by applying through their local Ukrainian embassy, USA Today reported.

“Anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Washington Post.

Zelenskyy said Thursday, March 3, that 16,000 people from around the world have volunteered to join the legion, The Washington Post reported..

[Hoyt]

16. Yeah, but they aren't looking for bunch of bush war vets. Which is mostly what they will get.

Ukraine won't even know who they are loyal to.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

17. I think you're wrong,

those Bush war vets are our most combat trained/experienced vets and have a lot of knowledge on fighting an insurgency, they can advise Ukrainians on what works best and what doesn't, they are experienced in small unit tactics and ops.

Then again, you might be right, time will tell.

If they want to go fight Russians, I have no problem with that as long as they understand that they're not representing the US Govt., they're volunteers there at their own risk.

[Hoyt]

18. And they followed orders to kill innocent people. Eddie Gallagher

is not what Ukraine needs. Sorry.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

19. Wow!!!!

Words fail me at the stupidity of your statement.

Have a nice Saturday.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

21. No, I'm not and I'll thank you for not putting your words in my mouth.

As I said, have a great Saturday and let's leave it at that.

[Hekate]

24. So, you don't think Lincoln Brigade redux is who will be showing up? Says more about you, Hoyt...

… than it does about them, sad to say.

[BlackSkimmer]

3. Have we heard from the two fellows here who said they were thinking about it?

Both were kind of out of the age group, but who knows?

[mitch96]

10. CNN interviewed two groups on the Polish/Ukraine border. Three American vets and a Brit with

no experience. They just jumped in a cab and went to Ukraine. Another group she interviewed had connections with the UKR military. All were trained British vets. One was a sniper and had experience in Afghanistan. They had a car waiting for them and off they went.
m

[BlackSkimmer]

11. I think I might have seen that last night. They were all young.

Here on DU, there were two guys, not so young who said they might go.

[mitch96]

12. Yup, saw it last night on Anderson Coopers program..nt

[BlackSkimmer]

14. Yes, someone was comparing it to the young Americans and Europeans who went to fight

Franco back during the Spanish Civil War. I must have seen the same segment.

[onecaliberal]

8. K&R

[walkingman]

13. Maybe it will attract some of these militia people in America

who like to play GI Joe and let them get off without harming our society.

[Hekate]

30. Only problem is that if they are MAGAts, they are predisposed to like Putin

[Hekate]

23. Be sure to share this with the armchair warriors who've showed up here... oh, wait...

They seem to be gone.

[Hekate]

25. We might be seeing the germ of a new Lincoln Brigade...

The Lincoln Battalion was formed by a group of volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War as soldiers, technicians, medical personnel and aviators fighting for Spanish Republican forces against the Nazi-supported forces of General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist faction. The Lincoln Battalion integrated white and black volunteers on an equal basis. Of the approximately 3,015 volunteers from the US, 681 were killed in action or died of wounds or sickness.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Battalion

[yagotme]

27. Another name from history,

the Flying Tigers, who fought the Japanese from China prior to our entry into the war. They were paid, so I guess they were mercenaries.

[Hekate]

29. It takes a lot of money to run an airline, so unless they were all independently wealthy....

I’ve never heard them called mercenaries before. You might check.

[yagotme]

31. OK. Here you are. 3rd paragraph.

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/insulting-the-flying-tigers/

[Demsrule86]

28. These aren't mercenaries but retired military. My brother is likely going...I wish he wouldn't.