'Wars are won by people who show up': Foreign fighters head to Ukraine

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalensky announced that any foreigners who wished to fight for Ukraine would be welcomed with open arms and given weapons – and there are many who are answering the call.

A wave of foreign nationals arriving in Ukraine, from all walks of life – from a Toronto comedian known for his satire of Trumps supporters, to a semi-professional goal-keeper from Guelph, Ont., have flown over to Europe with little-to no training.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba after the initial announcement that the country had received hundreds of requests from foreigners who wished to join the fighting.

In response, he said Ukraine had set up a foreign legion entitled “International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine.”

Kuleba urged anyone wishing to join the foreign legion to sign up at their nearest Ukrainian embassy in their home country, and that their entry into Ukraine “will be simplified to the maximum extent possible.”

Thirty-five year-old Eric Creager of Minnesota told CTV News’ correspondent Daniele Hamamdjian at the border crossing of Medyka, Poland, that although he has no military training, the fight for “freedom” is paramount.

“Fighting for freedom is important. It doesn't necessarily have to be at home,” Creager said. “These people have lost their homes because they're being invaded and wars are won by people who show up.”

Describing how he saw the situation in Ukraine unfolding on television, Creager said watching “60-year-olds who work in coffee shops [who] are being handed Kalashnikovs” with no one to help them spurred his action.

“I’d rather professionals do this instead of me,” he conceded, adding that while he has handled weapons back in the U.S., it doesn’t “count for anything,” in a real war.

“I graduated high school when [the American invasion of] Iraq was getting started and I didn’t feel like it was an honourable or just war, so I decided not to join.” Creager said, adding that he believes the U.S. was not justified “in any” of its military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We should not be going into other people’s homes and starting wars – that’s what Russia did—and that’s why it’s wrong.”

Despite the fear, Creager is determined to do what he feels is right.

“I’m terrified, I know there is a good chance I will be killed by somebody who is better armed and trained than me,” he said. “Everybody likes to talk about freedom, but freedom really only shows up when people are willing to fight for it, whether it be at the ballot box or in a war.”

“Just because I don’t know them, I will probably never get to meet most of them or speak the same language doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to live their lives,” Creager said.

Twenty-three year-old Olav Nese of Norway also flew to Poland to cross the border into Ukraine to fight Russian forces. Like Creager, he also has no military training.

“Russia has invaded Ukraine, they are not supposed to be there, they have targeted civilians and Ukraine has asked for help,” Nese said when asked why he chose to fight. “It’s the least I can do.”

Nese said he only has experience holding and using hunting rifles, but that did not deter him from his decision.

“They needed help, I suppose one more volunteer can’t hurt,” he said. “If we don’t help them, who will come to help when we need help? If no one shows up to help them, how can we complain when no one shows up to help us?”

Nese said he is aware and afraid of the repercussions Russia could inflict on Norway, noting that Finland and Sweden are not in NATO. “If Russia invades them, we will have Russia on all our borders, it will only be Russia…then it would be a quick, one-hour war, then Norway wouldn’t be Norway anymore” he said.

“I hope if we stop them here, I won’t have to fight them back home.”

Both men said their families back home questioned their decision to leave and fight for Ukraine.

“My parents said they understand what I am doing, but they don’t support it,” Creager said, while Nese admitted that his parents “think I am crazy, at least their texts say that,” he said.

Some governments have given their blessing for their citizens to fight in Ukraine, such as Latvia and Denmark. In the U.K., Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that she would “absolutely” support British nationals who went to join the newly formed foreign legion – however Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said those with no military training should join the war efforts.

At a press conference Monday, Defence Minister Anita Anand replied to a journalist’s question about Canadians who may want to join the foreign legion, responding that although the government “understands the desire” of some Canadians to go, the advice to not travel to Ukraine for security reasons remains.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly also answered the question, noting that the government has advised Canadians to leave Ukraine since Feb. 1, and the advisory for Canadians to avoid travel to Ukraine for security reasons has been in place for “some time.”

“At the same time, we understand that people of Ukrainian descent want to support their fellow Ukrainians and also a desire to defend the motherland, in that sense it’s their own individual decision,” she said.

CTVNews.ca reached out to Joly’s office to ask if Canadians who do go to Ukraine to fight will face legal repercussions once they return home, but did not receive a reply by time of publication.

And for those who are still mulling over the decision to help Ukraine, Creager had some harsh words.

“What are you guys doing? How come nobody else is showing up? We’re a kid from Norway and a middle-aged man who works in data-entry and we’re fighting a war?” he said. “Everybody saw this coming.”