Recently, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to urgently settle the issue of military legionnaires in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Every soldier who defends the Ukrainian state defends our people, defends our independence, deserves recognition and maximum support. This applies, in particular, to those of our soldiers – Ukrainian legionnaires – who currently have the citizenship of other states, but not yet of Ukraine,” he said in his video message. According to him, they deserve to be citizens of Ukraine, and it is fair to extend this to their relatives as well. The Ukrainian authorities finally paid attention to the problem, which had to be solved during the anti-terrorist operation or at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. But this is a case where, indeed, it is better late than never. Let us express our hope that the Ukrainian Parliament will support the President’s initiative and will make relevant decisions in the coming months. Representatives of almost the entire civilized world fight as volunteers in the ranks of the Armed Forces: British, Americans, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Lithuanians, French, Germans, Poles, Czechs, Colombians and others.
Far from all of them aspire to acquire Ukrainian citizenship, although such cases do occur, because for real soldiers it is an honour to be a citizen of the state whose sovereignty and territorial integrity they defend. But representatives of those nations who are under the temporary occupation of the Moscow Empire deserve special attention: Chechens, Ingush, Bashkortostan, Karel, Tatar, Chuvash, Oirat-Kalmyk, Yakut and other enslaved nations. It is common knowledge that they mostly serve in the Chechen volunteer battalions and the Siberian battalion. After all, this type of military unit should also include the Kastus Kalynovskyi Regiment, and other Belarusian units, which include Belarusians who are fighting for true freedom and independence for their people. For most soldiers from these units, the issue of regulating their legal status in Ukraine is extremely urgent.
The very fact that they have Russian or Belarusian citizenship creates many problems. They concern both recruiting matters and staying on the territory of Ukraine, and, especially, prospects in the future. All legionnaires sincerely believe in the achievement of freedom by their nations in the near future. In fact, it was precisely for this that they joined the volunteer units, and, fighting for the liberation of Ukraine, they are forming prototypes of their own liberation armies. At the same time, several related issues arise here and now: movement on the territory of Ukraine during vacation or injury, place of stay after demobilization, safety of family and friends, and many others. After all, the question of creating the most comfortable conditions for a stay in Ukraine for legionnaire volunteers is a matter of honour for Ukraine itself, which is gradually becoming a centre of support for the struggle of enslaved nations. That is why the Anti-Imperial Block of Nations has repeatedly turned to the Ukrainian authorities with specific proposals regarding the settlement of the specified issues. We must be heard! Corresponding statements were also heard from several associations of enslaved nations. Thus, the appeal from the Coalition and the Caucasian Union stated: “First of all, there is no sufficient legal basis for the use of Russian citizens in the war against the terrorist state. Chechens, Dagestanis, Chuvash, Tatars and others were not asked whether they wanted to have a Russian passport.
However, despite the armed struggle against the terrorist state, we feel some legal vulnerability alongside the representatives of our adversary… One of the possible solutions that can correct this situation is the creation of a full-fledged legal status for foreign volunteers (with the prospect of further life in peace, in Ukraine), which additionally motivates fighters to be defenders of Ukraine’s security and sovereignty.” So, now it’s up to the Ukrainian lawmakers.
Today, all prerequisites for an urgent decision to regulate the legal status of volunteer soldiers have been met. We hope that it will be aimed at state protection and support of all those who, with weapons in their hands, are fighting for the liberation of Ukraine and the collapse of the Moscow empire.
