Madison Kwiecinski 

News Editor 

Mv5945@psu.edu 

Ukrainians have been fighting a noble, heroic fight to defend their homeland from Russian invaders for weeks now. Russia believed they would capture Kiev, Ukraine capital, within two days of beginning the war that has now been ongoing for over a month. Ukrainian citizens are fighting against invaders who entered their country and destroyed their homes. They are fighting a good fight because they know their cause. 

The world stands with Ukraine, but fears escalation on the part of Russia, to an extent very rightfully so. Russia has issued vague threats leading other countries to believe interference in this war on behalf of a foregin body could lead to bio-terrorism or nuclear attacks.

Although other countries are not currently willing to get involved through combat, that does not mean  all of their citizens agree. Many former soldiers, from the United States and abroad are joining the battle, fighting to defend Ukraine against those who have begun a war on sovereign territory. 

The Ukrainian Foregin Legion, a group of fighters from various places abroad, is rapidly growing with citizens traveling from across the world to defend Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian government, more than two thousand fighters from various countries across the world have joined the “International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine.” 

These men and women who have traveled countless miles to defend a country that is not their own are heroes, just like every soldier taking a stand for what is rightfully theirs in Ukraine. 

The Territorial Defense in Ukraine has requested that only those experienced in either combat or law enforcement join the fight, according to the Military Times. People wishing to join the fight should be prepared with government-issued ID, passports, and documents proving their experience in combat or other useful skills. 

Ukraine has stated that joining the International Legion of Territorial Defense is an official path for foreigners who wish to join the nation’s fight against Russian invaders. However, Russia has issued statements that make it seem as though foriegn citizens fighting in Ukraine should be prepared to be treated as mercenaries, not protected under the international rules of war, and prisoners taken will not receive prisoner-of-war status. Russia has made threats saying foregin fighters can hope for, at best, a trial if taken by Russia. 

These threats have not been a deterrence to those who wish to join the fight because they believe in the cause. According to the Ukrainian Embassy in the U.S., at least 6,000 Americans have applied to fight in Ukraine. Volunteers are also pouring in from countries such as Germany, Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom, as well as others. 

The Ukrainian army is vastly outnumbered, but still maintaining a historic and heroic fight, keeping possession of the majority of their homeland Russia claimed would be overrun quickly. The foreign fighters joining Ukrainians have come as a massive morale boost for Ukrainian soldiers, seeing the world standing beside them, even if it is on an individual basis. 

Soldiers are fighting this war on the beliefs of democracy and freedom, on the basis of doing what is right and having those views supported across the world, not repressed in areas we cannot easily reach. Soldiers are volunteering to fight in this war, when wars at home have required drafts to get them to do the exact same thing, because this war has a side that is right, and a side that is wrong.

Every man or woman fighting in Ukraine, from Ukrainian citizens to combat or medically experienced foreigners, are heroes fighting for the freedom of a sovereign nation facing invasion and grotesque warfare from a country trying to reenact an era in which the world stood united against them. Russia will not return to its former Soviet State, the goal is it is so clearly pushing towards, without at least first facing an army of people united in a noble cause against them, fighting the good fight.