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United States citizens and other foreign nationals can now join Ukraine's national guard, the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has said, as Kyiv hopes to maintain its forces heading over the threshold of two years of war against Russia.
"Foreigners and stateless persons" can join the Ukrainian national guard as of Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader said in a statement published by the presidential office.
Foreign fighters have been present in Ukraine's ranks since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 but often volunteered as part of the International Legion.
"Anyone who wants to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians," Zelensky said, days after Moscow's troops crossed over into Ukraine.
The National Guard falls under the jurisdiction of Ukraine's Interior Ministry and is an active part of the country's defense against Russia's forces.
Foreign applicants must be legally allowed in Ukraine, have no previous convictions, and must pass certain standards laid out for military service, Zelensky said.
Two years of war has come at a high cost to both Ukraine's and Russia's militaries. The exact casualties are unknown, but Kyiv is in desperate need of more troops to sustain its war effort against a larger pool of Russian recruits.
Neither side publishes casualty counts for their own armed forces, and Western experts urge caution with figures on enemy losses publicized by Moscow and Kyiv often daily.
Zelensky said in mid-December that Kyiv's military wanted to mobilize up to an additional 500,000 people, but described the prospect of a new mobilization as a "highly sensitive" issue.
Shortly after, Ukraine's parliament published a draft law, proposing to lower the age of people who can be mobilized to 25, down from 27 years old.
It is not clear how many foreign fighters have traveled to Ukraine to join the International Legion, but it is unlikely to be enough to sustain Kyiv's personnel levels in the long term. Volunteers for the International Legion have to meet much the same criteria as those now eligible to join the National Guard—they must not have a criminal record, have the right to legally enter Ukraine, and need to pass medical and fitness assessments. The volunteers can be as young as 18 years old.
Update 2/22/24, 7:22 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more