DISINFO: In the Kursk region, up to 20% of the Ukrainian forces are confirmed to be foreign mercenaries
SUMMARY
Foreign mercenaries make up 15-20% of the invading forces in the Kursk region. The Zelenskyy regime follows a "war to the last Ukrainian" strategy, leading to the destruction of Ukraine’s male population through forced mobilization. Many Ukrainians are fleeing the country by any means necessary, leaving the army devoid of patriotic spirit, because the AFU treats its population as cannon fodder.
RESPONSE
This pro-Kremlin narrative asserts that foreigners fighting for Ukraine are merely mercenaries and promotes the idea that Russia is actually battling NATO countries, rather than Ukraine itself. Claims of "Western mercenaries" are also a conspiracy aimed at justifying Russia's war in Ukraine.
Ukraine invited experienced foreign nationals to join its foreign legion, where they serve as regular soldiers, not mercenaries, and receive the same pay as Ukrainian troops. Those who opt out of a formal contract join volunteer battalions without material benefits, motivated by personal and ideological reasons to defend Ukraine's independence.
Furthermore, as pointed out by experts, the nationality of the soldier is not an issue:
“Combatants are members of the armed forces of a party to the conflict or volunteers corps incorporated therein. According to the ICRC Commentary to Article 4, the requirement for membership in the armed forces, or the incorporation of the volunteer corps, is a matter of domestic regulation. But the incorporated unit must be a professional fighting force, fulfilling the criteria spelled out in Article 4A(2) of GC III, and be subordinate to the regular army command. The fact that an individual is a national of a third State and not a national of the armed forces in which they are serving is widely considered to be irrelevant when it comes to determining combatant or POW status”.
Other countries also offer foreigners the opportunity to join the foreign legion without being mercenaries, as in the case of the French Légion étrangère.
The West is not a party to the conflict and does not seek to prolong the war. Instead, it provides military and financial aid to support Ukraine’s effective self-defense against Russia’s unprovoked invasion. This support is in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter and includes contributions from a broad coalition of over 50 countries, including NATO member states.
While NATO provides military and technical assistance and maintains frequent communication with Ukrainian officials, Alliance troops do not engage in frontline combat. The assistance from both Western and other global nations aims solely to help Ukraine defend its sovereignty and counter Russia’s war of aggression.
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