Bryson Woolsey is trading in his chefsa国际传媒檚 apron and the luxury of home for ammunition and danger to help people in Ukraine during their time of crisis.
The 33-year-old cook from Powell River, B.C., said he sa国际传媒渄ropped the frying pansa国际传媒� to answer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyysa国际传媒檚 call for foreigners to join an sa国际传媒渋nternational brigadesa国际传媒� to defeat Russia.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not my desire to go into combat and just shoot people. Thatsa国际传媒檚 not the reason,sa国际传媒� he said in an interview. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 something happening right now, and I have the capacity to help in some way.sa国际传媒�
While heads of state hammer out sanctions to slow down and stop Russiasa国际传媒檚 invasion of Ukraine, people from all walks of life are answering Kyivsa国际传媒檚 call to arms regardless of personal risk and training.
Yet while Ottawa has largely adopted a hands-off approach, saying the decision to fight is up to individuals, some are worried about the potential legal and national security questions of having a large number of Canadians head off to war.
Author and historian Tyler Wentzell, who has studied Canadianssa国际传媒� involvement in previous foreign conflicts, said it will be interesting to watch how people respond to this request for help considering Canada is home to the third-largest Ukrainian population.
sa国际传媒淔oreign volunteers have a way of making things seem a little bit less foreign,sa国际传媒� said Wentzell, who has written a book on Canadians fighting in the Spanish Civil War.
sa国际传媒淪o, if these volunteers go sa国际传媒� wesa国际传媒檙e going to start to have Canadians sending back TikTok videos from the front lines. And I think that will fundamentally change how Canadians view the conflict.sa国际传媒�
But Wentzell also noted that there is a difference between the official Ukrainian Armed Forces and sa国际传媒渁ny number of oddball militias that already exist or may emergesa国际传媒� in such situations.
Some paramilitary units in Ukraine, and even certain segments of the Ukrainian military, have been linked to far-right extremism and hate, and even accused of past war crimes.
The Foreign Enlistment Act actually restricts when people can fight in a war that does not directly involve Canada. Passed in 1937, it was intended to keep Canada neutral during the Spanish Civil War and basically banned joining a foreign military to fight a country Canada considers sa国际传媒渇riendly.sa国际传媒�
Wentzell, who has studied the act extensively, says he believes those going to fight for Ukraine would not be violating the law. The same might not be said for those who might join the Russian military, even though Canada and Russia are not at war.
At the same time, he said volunteers should be careful about joining Ukrainian paramilitary units as their conduct and affiliations with certain groups could put them afoul of Canadian law.
Kyiv has said anyone who wants to join the international brigade to contact the local Ukrainian Embassy. An email to the embassy in Ottawa asking for more information was answered Wednesday with a question about military and medical experience.
The federal government has not directly addressed the legality of Canadians fighting in Ukraine, or whether it supports those who want to do so. Federal ministers have instead couched the issue as a matter of personal risk.
sa国际传媒淚 will say that is an individual decision that Canadians are making for themselves, and our job as a government is to provide information about the severity of the situation on the ground in Ukraine,sa国际传媒� Defence Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday.
The call for international volunteers to fight in Ukraine has raised other questions and concerns for Stephanie Carvin, a former national security analyst who now teaches at Carleton University.
Carvin noted extremist groups in Canada and elsewhere are always looking for ways to get military training, experience and credibility. Volunteering to fight in Ukraine could offer all three.
sa国际传媒淭here are national security implications to large numbers of Canadians going overseas and getting military experience by forces we donsa国际传媒檛 know,sa国际传媒� she said.
sa国际传媒淏ecause they may end up with the Ukrainian army, or they could end up with other factions there. And we do know the factions exist, and that could cause problems down the road.sa国际传媒�
Woolsey noted Canada said that those who want to volunteer to fight for Ukraine are welcome to do it, adding that hesa国际传媒檚 aware of some other countries that have warned their citizens against it.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday warned those in his country against going to fight in Ukraine after his foreign secretary over the weekend got into hot water for voicing her support.
sa国际传媒淚t is clear that the people of Ukraine have right on their side and I can understand why people feel as they do,sa国际传媒� Johnson said during a visit to Estonia. sa国际传媒淏ut we have laws in our country about international conflicts and how they must be conducted.sa国际传媒�
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also advised people against going to Ukraine to fight citing legal logistics and informal militias that might mushroom in such situations.
sa国际传媒淥ne: donsa国际传媒檛 do it, donsa国际传媒檛 do it,sa国际传媒� he said during a news conference. sa国际传媒淪econdly, the legal position at best is unclear. At best is unclear. And as a result, we would not be encouraging people to join in those efforts.sa国际传媒�
Australian law prohibits its citizens, residents, and visa holders from sa国际传媒渆ngaging in hostile activitiessa国际传媒� overseas unless serving in the armed forces of a foreign country, said a statement from the Department of Home Affairs.
sa国际传媒淔oreign fighters who have returned to Australia who are suspected of committing a criminal offence will be investigated by law enforcement and security agencies,sa国际传媒� it said.
The Australian government also has measures in place to proactively identify and take action against non-citizens who have engaged in criminal activity and behaviour of concern, it added.
However, U.S. President Joe Bidensa国际传媒檚 administration has taken a similar approach to Canada.
sa国际传媒淥ur travel advisory remains U.S. citizens should not travel to Ukraine,sa国际传媒� White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
She added that sa国际传媒渢he State Department has issued travel advisories and warnings to help Americans make the most informed decisions about their safety, so thatsa国际传媒檚 what I would refer you to.sa国际传媒�
While Carvin didnsa国际传媒檛 want to suggest most Canadians want to do anything but help Ukraine and its people, she worried the government wasnsa国际传媒檛 being clear enough in its own position sa国际传媒� or about the potential dangers.
Joshua Robertson of Barriere, B.C., whose grandfather came to Canada in the 1930s from Ukraine, said his connection to that country is sa国际传媒渟o deepsa国际传媒� that it cansa国际传媒檛 be explained.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 just something thatsa国际传媒檚 calling me back home,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 need to go and help.sa国际传媒�
The 31-year-old who is hoping to go to Ukraine by mid-March said he has no military experience and is pretty scared. But itsa国际传媒檚 something that needs to be done, he added.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e ready to fight,sa国际传媒� Robertson said. sa国际传媒淲e will lay down our lives.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒擧ina Alam and Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
