- A growing number of US veterans are seeking to fight alongside Ukraine against Russia, per the NYT.
- For many American veterans, the call to service in Ukraine's dire situation is too great to ignore.
- James, a medic who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, told The Times that he couldn't "stand by" and watch Russia's assault on Ukraine.
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.
Across the United States, countless veterans have witnessed Ukrainians fight back against Russian President Vladimir Putin's incursion into their country, and many have been overwhelmed by their sense of duty to push back against the unfolding threat against democracy.
Hector, a former Marine from Tampa Bay, Fla. who served in Iraq, told The Times said that Ukrainian citizens were suffering and he believed that he could provide immediate relief.
"Sanctions can help, but sanctions can't help right now, and people need help right now," said Hector, who asked the paper to only use his first name. "I can help right now."
He left the US on Friday to volunteer in Ukraine, bringing along rifle scopes and body armor that were given to him by fellow US veterans, he told The Times.
"A lot of veterans, we have a calling to serve, and we trained our whole career for this kind of war," he told The Times. "Sitting by and doing nothing? I had to do that when Afghanistan fell apart, and it weighted heavily on me. I had to act."
President Joe Biden last week issued two rounds of sanctions against Russia, with the US, Canada, and its European allies also agreeing to block "selected" Russian banks from SWIFT. The measures, which were crafted to isolate Russia, have already had a huge impact on the country's economy, with the ruble tanking and billions in assets that have already been frozen.
'It's the innocent people being attacked — the kids'
In cities and towns across the nation, veterans are strategizing how to join in the fight, assembling passports and other materials that they'll need in order to enter Ukraine.
And many former service members are encouraged by the firm resistance of Ukrainians against Russia, savoring the chance to fight alongside citizens who are committed to protecting democracy, as opposed to some of the past experiences of veterans who fought in countries where their efforts weren't always embraced by citizens.
David Ribardo, an ex-Army officer and business owner in Allentown, Pa., told The Times that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is clearly defined.
"It's a conflict that has a clear good and bad side, and maybe that stands apart from other recent conflicts," he told the newspaper. "A lot of us are watching what is happening and just want to grab a rifle and go over there."
Ribardo, who is aiding veterans who are seeking to fight overseas through the group Volunteers for Ukraine, remarked on the outpouring of support for the larger effort.
"It was very quickly overwhelming, almost too many people wanted to help," he told The Times.
While Ribardo's group is not specifically calling on veterans to fight, he is connecting vetted former service members with people who have offered to donate plane tickets.
The Ukrainian government has asked interested veterans to reach out to its consulates, with several veterans telling The Times that they were still waiting to hear back from officials.
Zelensky on Thursday said that 16,000 volunteers had joined the international brigade, according to The Washington Post.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Thursday informed the Russian News Agency that international fighters would be classified as mercenaries — not as soldiers — and would be exempt from rules guiding the treatment of prisoners of war.
"At best, they can expect to be prosecuted as criminals," he said. "We are urging all foreign citizens who may have plans to go and fight for Kyiv's nationalist regime to think a dozen times before getting on the way."
When asked about US veterans who sought to fight in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week said that there were a plethora of ways in which Americans could help the country.
"For those who want to help Ukraine and help its people, there are many ways to do that, including by supporting and helping the many NGOs that are working to provide humanitarian assistance; providing resources themselves to groups that are trying to help Ukraine by being advocates for Ukraine and for peaceful resolution to this crisis that was created by Russia," he said.
However, many veterans simply cannot turn their heads away from playing an active role in the conflict.
James, a medic who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and chose to omit his last name, told The Times that he wanted to help Ukraine after seeing the Russian advance.
"Combat has a cost, that's for sure; you think you can come back from war the same, but you can't," he told the newspaper as he waited for word from Ukrainian officials. "But I feel obligated. It's the innocent people being attacked — the kids. It's the kids, man. I just can't stand by."