Ukraine's international brigade

By Paul Tyson

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call for volunteers to join his country's newly created International Legion of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine to resist the Russian invasion appears to be modeled on the international brigades formed in the 1930s to fight the fascist forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Ukraine has claimed that some 20,000 people from 52 countries have already applied to join what is also known as the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.

Ukraine is not the first European country to recruit foreigners into its army. France, for example, has had the fabled French Foreign Legion since the 1830s. The U.K. allows volunteers from the Commonwealth of Nations, comprising former British colonies, to serve in its armed forces. The U.S. also permits non-U.S. citizens to join its military, which is seen as a way to fast-track their acquisition of American citizenship.

There are reports that Americans and Israelis living in Ukraine have already signed up and have been asked to bring uniforms, protective gear and other equipment with them.

Critics of the program have called it a public relations exercise that will have little combat effectiveness. But Ukrainian officials emphasize that they are seeking combat veterans, former SEAL and Special Force soldiers, medical personnel and communications specialists. Inexperienced volunteers are less desirable since there is already a large pool of Ukrainians to fill that need.

Ukraine has not named the home countries of the volunteers, saying that some of them forbid their citizens from fighting for other countries. Most of the future volunteers are expected to come from Europe and North America, particularly those with Ukrainian family backgrounds.

Seoul has taken an ambiguous stance on whether Koreans can volunteer to serve in Ukraine, offering no clear guidelines. It has been suggested that those going to Ukraine could violate government restrictions prohibiting Koreans traveling to combat zones without permission, which carries a penalty of either a jail sentence or a fine. Korean males who enlist in the Ukrainian military without first completing their national service could also face legal penalties.

But there is also a chance that the Korean government could look the other way given the strong international support for the Ukrainian cause. The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul has said it has received some 100 applications from Korean volunteers. There are reports that former Korean SEALs are already fighting in Ukraine.

There is another way that Koreans could help by joining Ukraine's IT army of hackers, with thousands of foreign cybersecurity professionals having enlisted. They have conducted denial-of-service attacks against dozens of Russian websites and services, including banks and government agencies.

An interesting question is whether Pyongyang will also respond to Moscow's request for foreign volunteers to fight in Ukraine. North Korea was one of only five countries to vote against an U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning the Russian invasion. One of those other countries ― Syria ― has promised to send volunteers and another ― Belarus ― has helped support the invasion.

North Korea already served as a Soviet proxy in helping fight in the African “wars of liberation” in the 1970s. Pyongyang might decide to send soldiers to join Russian troops in the Ukraine in a show of solidarity with one of its closest allies.

Ukraine has emerged as the latest example of the ongoing fight between democracy and totalitarianism and brings back memories of a similar struggle in the 1930s when the Spanish Civil War drew in foreign fighters.

Spain's elected Republican government was then fighting fascist Nationalist forces led by General Franco. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy supported the Nationalists with personnel, weapons and aircraft, while the Soviet Union supported the left-leaning Republicans. The Republicans and international leftist organizations called for foreign fighters to join the cause by forming international brigades.

About 4,000 Britons volunteered, including the novelist George Orwell, although they risked prosecution in their home country under the Foreign Enlistment Act, although it was never applied in the end. An estimated 3,000 Americans joined the Lincoln Brigade to support the Republican government and they served as soldiers, technicians, medical personnel and aviators.

When the U.S. became concerned about Japanese aggression in Asia in the early 1940s, it allowed American fighter pilots to join Chinese Nationalist forces fighting the Japanese. This group of pilots who had been quietly released from U.S. military service formed the legendary Flying Tigers in 1940 under the command of a retired American general, Claire Chennault, who was attached to the Chinese Air Force.

After Washington declared war on Japan after Pearl Harbor, these pilots were placed under U.S. command as the 23rd Fighter Group. Today, the U.S. Air Force's 23rd Fighter Group still flies planes with shark teeth nose art on their A-10 fleet, an homage to the P-40 Warhawks flown by the Flying Tigers.

History now appears to be repeating itself.

Paul Tyson is a retired U.S. diplomat teaching diplomacy and government at New England College.