Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has used his social media accounts to invite foreigners to create an ‘International Legion’ in the country to help resist the invasion by ‘Russian war criminals’.
The post reads: ‘The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is addressing all citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine, peace and democracy.
‘Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals.’
According to the BBC, a more detailed post says foreign citizens are legally allowed to join Ukraine’s defences, and that a separate division of fighters is being formed called ‘the International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine’.
The BBC notes that Ukraine’s leader has previously stressed how the country has been left to defend itself on its own, and that while Western allies have sent arms and ammunition, they are not ‘putting boots on the ground’.
The report points out that Ukraine is not part of the Nato defence alliance.