When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, American soldier Kahn had just returned from a mission in the Middle East and said to himself: “ You have to do what is right“. As Kahn told ARD, values know no borders and no nationality. “Everyone can figure out what is right. The right thing now is to fight for Ukraine.“
The correspondent of the German public-law media ARD Andrea Beer meets Kahn at the training ground of the Third Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian army – the American is trained to fight in urban conditions and to maneuver in difficult enemy terrain. “My biggest motivation was to help. I have something to give from my experience in the US Army.“ Kahn emphasizes that every contribution of the volunteers can be valuable and lead to progress so as to improve the overall situation of the attacked country.
Like it's the most normal thing in the world
Kahn's words sound as if the most normal thing in the world for an American is to go to war in Ukraine: to fight, to kill, and perhaps to die. At farewell, his relatives simply wished him luck.
"And my family thinks I'm in Alaska", Dutch told ARD – another American who is with Kahn at the test site in Ukraine. He is from the state of South Carolina, and as an 18-year-old, he enrolled in the French Foreign Legion because he failed to finish school.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old speaks excellent French and good Ukrainian. "I've gotten a lot smarter since I left school," he says. When Russia started its aggression against Ukraine, Dutch was with Ukrainian friends in Africa. All of them immediately went to Ukraine – were shocked by Russian occupiers killing civilians, such as in Bucha.
„What the Russians did to civilians is terrible. I wouldn't be able to stop them, but I would like to at least prevent this from happening in the future," Dutch told ARD.
Harris is not specific enough and Trump is unpredictable
Weapons, money, humanitarian aid, political support - the homeland of Kahn and Dutch provides especially great help to Ukraine against the aggressor Russia. But what will happen after the presidential election? Democratic candidate Kamala Harris wants to help Kiev, but did not specify her promises. Republican nominee Donald Trump is seen as unpredictable and could end arms supplies and impose peace in Russia's favor, as many in Ukraine fear. But neither Kahn nor Dutch care about the US election.
„We are not interested in politics”, they both told ARD. “I am concentrating on Ukraine”, says Kahn, who is even considering accepting Ukrainian citizenship.
Foreigners in the Ukrainian army
Foreigners in the Ukrainian army are not few – they are from Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Canada, Greece or from the USA such as Cannes and Dutch. From March 2022, foreign citizens can fight in the Ukrainian army against the aggressor Russia, but in separate military units or in an international legion.
They must meet certain conditions, notes ARD: be between the ages of 18 and 60, have a clean criminal record, have no chronic illnesses, and their physical condition is checked by a committee. There are no official data on how many foreigners are fighting for Ukraine.
"This is a completely different war"
In front of the German public-law media, Kahn emphasized that Ukraine needs much more weapons than it receives. And Dutch points out that in the trenches it is very noticeable how ammunition, weapons or anti-aircraft defense systems do not reach.
Before ending up in Ukraine, he fought in Mali and Iraq. But there one could count on support from air defense or from the armed support of other units. “There is no support from the air in Ukraine – there is nothing like it. At best, adjacent parts can help. This is a completely different war – personal abilities are relied upon much more here than in the NATO armies.“
Ukraine is currently weaker, and one of the reasons for this is the inexperience of Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches, Dutch told ARD. “I don't want to talk about it any more,” he says, but admits that the Ukrainians are in dire need of almost everything: “Without artillery, the Russians are advancing more and more. If we had more artillery or mortar shells, we could stop them”, says the American.
The pay is not high
During their studies, Kahn and Dutch each receive about $1,200 a month, and for frontline missions – 3000 dollars, writes ARD. Many are surprised by these amounts, as they clearly assumed the pay was much higher, Kahn says.
„We did not come here for money”, they both emphasize. “As an American, I would like to guarantee the freedom of a country – that's exactly what we stand for. That is why I am fighting for the freedom of Ukraine”, Dutch explains. Kahn says that his goal is the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.
„Even though I am a foreigner, I serve Ukraine. I am defending the country and helping to regain the territory and to protect the people of Ukraine,”, Khan summed up.