From the US and Elsewhere, People Travel to Ukraine to Defend Against Putin's Attacks

Across the world, thousands of people are seeking travel to Ukraine to help in the fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

Ukraine's Defense Minister said Monday that the country received over 20,000 applications "from foreigners who are ready to come to Ukraine and protect the world from Russian Nazis on the Ukrainian front." Among the roughly 20,000 applicants to Ukraine's "International Legion" of fighters are 3,000 Americans. Last week, the White House reiterated its guidance against traveling to Ukraine, and on Friday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby urged "Americans not in Ukraine not to go." Russia is reportedly looking to enlist foreign fighters as well; a Wall Street Journal (Center bias) report suggests that Russia is recruiting Syrians for urban combat in Ukraine. 

Reports across the spectrum have highlighted military veterans in the U.S. and others across the globe who are heading to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion. Some coverage from left-rated sources framed foreigners seeking to fight in Ukraine as "war tourists"; one writer for MSNBC argued that the conflict and the role of foreign fighters "raises serious risks for recruitment, radicalization and mobilization in violent white supremacist extremist movements." Reports from right-rated outlets sometimes glorified people who chose to go to Ukraine to defend and fight, and highlighted Ukraine's calls for participation and ways for people in the U.S. to sign up.