The number of Canadian civilians who have travelled to Ukraine to fight the Russians is so significant they have been able to form their own fighting battalion..Ukraine now has a foreign legion and is made up of citizens from Sweden, U.S., India, and Mexico, among others..Canada is home to the world’s third largest expat Ukrainian population..Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, is now host to 550 Canadians who have organized and taken up weapons to resist Vladimir Putin’s forces and who are prepared to fight and die to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty..The number of Canadian civilians mobilizing for war in another country is unprecedented..“Meanwhile, a Ukrainian-Canadian activist helping in the recruitment of fighters in this country said hundreds more have volunteered to fight in Ukraine,” said a Ukraine government spokesman to the Globe and Mail..The International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine is helping Canadians and other nations’ citizens with guidance and support to enable a smooth transition into the defence forces in the country and points them to an online portal where they can find help to register to enlist..Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine president, had previously appealed to the citizens of other countries who sympathize with the cause to come to Ukraine and assist defence forces any way they can..“Anyone who wants to join the defence of security in Europe and the world can come and stand side-by-side with the Ukrainians against the invaders of the 21st Century,” Zelensky said..A spokesman for The International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine Facebook page said Ukraine is asking for corporate sponsorship for those willing to leave their home country for the fight in Ukraine..“Ukraine would like to see airlines in Canada and elsewhere provide free passage to Poland for would-be fighters. For now, they must pay their own way, or rely on funds raised by churches and other groups,” the spokesman said..The Ukraine Crisis Media Centre website has an online tool that offers a seven-step application guide for would-be soldiers who want to join the International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine..Step One states, “Apply to the Embassy of Ukraine in your country with the intention to join the Foreign Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine (ask a military diplomat or Consul, contact details on the Embassy website).”. Steps-Fight-in-UkraineImage courtesy of The Ukraine Crisis Media Centre website .Further information on the web page asks applicants to declare information regarding equipment, apparel, and documentation. It recommends potential fighters bring body armour and helmets..One notable addition to Ukraine’s defence ranks is elite Canadian Montreal sniper, known only as ‘Wali.’ The 40-year-old sharpshooter, while fighting ISIS in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2011, won his reputation as one of the deadliest marksmen in the world. Wali is a French-Canadian software engineer when he’s not killing foreign enemy combatants..In an interview with CBC News, ‘Wali’ stated, “They were so happy to have us. It’s like we were friends, right away. I want to help them. It’s as simple as that. I have to help because there are people here being bombarded just because they want to be European and not Russian. A week ago I was still programming stuff. Now I’m grabbing anti-tank missiles in a warehouse to kill real people — that’s my reality right now. My wife opposed the idea, that was the hardest part of the decision. You can imagine what she said and how she thinks.”. Sniper-Courtesy-myzimbabwe.co_.zw_Sniper takes aim. Image courtesy of myzimbabwe.co.zw .“I know, it’s just awful,” he said on the subject of war in Ukraine, “but me, in my head, when I see the images of destruction in Ukraine, it is my son that I see, in danger and who is suffering,” he told French newspaper, La Presse..Wali said he’d crossed into Ukraine from Poland at an undisclosed point, journeying against a wave of many thousands of Ukrainian refugees exiting the country in the opposite direction..Ukrainian diplomats have said that Canadians with military experience would be given priority, but will welcome anyone interested in joining the fight to travel to the country..Amanda Brown is a reporter at the Western Standard
