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Ukraine President Zelensky urges foreigners to join ‘international brigade’ to fight Russia
Volodymyr Zelensky said a separate unit is being formed for foreigners to join the Ukrainian side against Russia's offensive, adding it will be a ‘key testimony" of one’s support for the east European nation.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday urged foreigners to visit Ukrainian embassies in their respective countries and sign up for an “international brigade” of volunteers to join the ongoing fight against invasion by the Russian military.
"All foreigners wishing to join the resistance against the Russian occupiers and protect global security are invited by the Ukrainian leadership to come to our state and join the ranks of the territorial defence forces," Zelensky said.
The president said a “separate unit” is being formed with foreigners and it is called the International Brigade of the Territorial Defence of Ukraine. He said joining the unit will be a “key testimony” of one's support for Ukraine.
Stating that Ukrainians are courageous enough to fight Russia, Zelensky said the current conflict is not just a Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the “beginning of a war against Europe,” according to AFP
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The comedian-turned-top leader said foreigners interested in joining the Ukrainian war can get in touch with the military attache at their nearest Ukrainian embassy. The statement from the Ukrainian president comes after he earlier called on foreigners with combat experience to help defend his country against Russia's invasion.
The Russian military operation in Ukraine entered its fourth day on Sunday, with heavy battle reported in several of the major cities of the east European nation. According to latest updates, Ukrainian soldiers have retaken Kharkiv - the second largest city of the country - from Russian troops after several hours of combat.
The European Union (EU) and the West have slapped several sanctions against Russia, including banning some banks from the SWIFT global payments system. The sanctions that started soon after Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale military operation in Ukraine on Thursday that he refuses to call “war”, are aimed at hobbling the country's economy.
Several European nations, including Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic and the Netherlands, and the US are also sending weapons to Ukraine in its fight against the Kremlin.
Putin, meanwhile, has ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces be on high alert. The move was in response to “unfriendly” steps against Moscow. Hours later, Ukraine said it was ready for talks with Russia along the Belarus border.
The mayhem in Ukraine has triggered a massive influx of refugees in its neigbouring countries. The United Nations said on Sunday that 3,68,000 people have fled Ukraine since the invasion. In visuals shared by AFP, long queues could be seen at railway stations. Germany has announced free train rides to Ukrainian refugees travelling into the country from Poland.
