Polish FM: Several thousand people already registered to join Ukrainian Legion in Poland
Poland is set to train and equip Ukrainian volunteers before sending them to Ukraine as a cohesive unit, according to Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
During the NATO Public Forum at the Alliance’s summit in Washington, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that thousands of people have already signed up to join the Ukrainian Legion, a new volunteer military unit in Poland.
According to Sikorski, Poland is preparing to train the country’s first Ukrainian brigade, which is composed of volunteers. He said that several thousand have already registered to participate in this conscription.
According to Sikorski, there are up to a million Ukrainians of both genders in Poland.
The Foreign Minister highlighted an interesting trend among the volunteers: “Many of them really want to serve and rotate their compatriots, but they say: we don’t want to be sent into battle without being properly trained and equipped.”
Sikorski also said that Poland would take on the responsibility of training and equipping these volunteers. The plan is to eventually provide them to Ukraine as a unit with the right to return to Poland after completing their rotation.
Sikorski emphasized the potential impact of such initiatives, saying, “If every European country did this, Ukraine would have several brigades.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk created the Ukrainian Legion, a volunteer unit on Polish territory, on 8 July.
According to Zelenskyy, every Ukrainian citizen can sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enter the formation.
The security agreement with Poland includes non-military cooperation in intelligence activities, cybersecurity, and countering Russian disinformation.
Tusk described the agreement as a significant document and reminded that similar deals on mutual security commitments were signed by Kyiv and 19 countries.
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