Foreigners in the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Why Legalization Remains Unresolved in 2025
As of 2025, thousands of foreigners from 72 countries serve in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to open sources, more than 8,000 foreign volunteers have joined the Land Forces. Among them are citizens of Belarus, Russia, Georgia, the United States, Poland, Lithuania, and other countries. The participation of Belarusian volunteers is especially notable: their formations number more than a thousand, many of whom have been wounded or killed in action.
Unlike historical models such as the French Foreign Legion, Ukraine does not have a stable mechanism for the legalization of foreign military personnel. The absence of a clear algorithm creates numerous obstacles for foreigners fighting on Ukraine’s side from issues with residence permits to the inability to obtain citizenship or even basic life insurance.
In 2024–2025, several significant regulatory acts were adopted in Ukraine:
- Law on Multiple Citizenship No. 11469, which was intended to simplify the acquisition of citizenship for those who defended Ukraine or were politically persecuted in aggressor countries.
- A law that allows foreigners to receive officer ranks for service in the AFU.
However, the implementation of these laws is not accompanied by clear procedures: government agencies lack instructions, there is no “road map,” and in practice, foreigners remain unprotected even after several years of service at the front.
Bureaucracy, Discrimination, and Social Constraints
The reality of life as a foreign volunteer in the AFU is a constant struggle with absurd obstacles:
- Belarusians and Russians are often not insured or are charged double for life insurance.
- The military ID the so-called “military visa” allows official stay for only 90 days, and does not prevent fines or the risk of deportation.
- Banking and everyday restrictions: difficulties in making payments for real estate, in obtaining resident status even for those performing combat missions.
- Problems obtaining or renewing residence permits, driver’s licenses, lack of basic social protection for military families.
Government bodies often have no clear answer on how to enforce the laws, and any progress is only possible after public outcry. All these factors create an atmosphere of legal uncertainty and moral fatigue among foreign servicemen.
Socio-Psychological Dimension and Consequences for Defense Capability
At the front, questions of citizenship or legalization are irrelevant: everyone fights for a common cause, risks their lives, and supports each other. But in civilian life outside the front, foreigners find themselves in a situation of social and legal vacuum. A foreign serviceman may be a combatant but not have access to the simplest protection or everyday necessities. Numerous examples from issues with documents to the risk of losing legal status due to strict and often non-transparent requirements only intensify the sense of injustice and frustration.
Legislative declarations have no power if they are not supported by effective instructions and practical mechanisms. Institutional weakness leads to the fact that even after the adoption of important laws, foreigners remain without official status, cannot legally stay in Ukraine, or ensure protection for themselves and their families. As a result, many volunteers choose other countries for example, Poland, which legalizes Belarusians who fled the Lukashenko regime or fought for Ukraine within a few months. Those who stay continue to serve despite the risks, guided by personal beliefs, commitment to Ukraine, and a sense of responsibility for the choice made in 2022.
Key Issues and the Need for Change
- Lack of an effective mechanism for the legalization and protection of foreign military personnel;
- Indifference or formalism in the implementation of laws by government agencies;
- Social and everyday restrictions that create additional pressure on foreigners and their families;
- Demotivation, leading to the loss of valuable allies and increased risks for defense capability.
Ukraine finds itself at a crossroads: the involvement of foreign volunteers is not only a matter of security but also a test of the maturity of the state, its institutions, and its value system. Only the introduction of real, not declarative, changes will allow the country to preserve partnership, support, and the effectiveness of national defense in the future.
Explanation of terms:
- Law on Multiple Citizenship No. 11469 – a regulatory act that provides for simplified acquisition of citizenship by foreigners who fought for Ukraine or suffered persecution in Belarus or the Russian Federation.
- Military visa – temporary status that allows a foreigner to stay in Ukraine during service, but does not guarantee long-term legal residence.
- Residence permit – a document that allows a foreigner to legally stay and work in Ukraine for an extended period.
- Bureaucracy – excessive regulation and formalism in the decision-making system that complicates access to basic rights.
About the Author
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