Ukrainian Parliament passes law allowing foreigners to sign contracts with Armed Forces of Ukraine

Draft law No. 12023 on amendments to the procedure for contractual military service by foreigners and stateless persons was supported in the second reading by 276 MPs.

The law stipulates that foreigners and stateless persons in Ukraine will be allowed to sign contracts with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Special Transport Service, and the National Guard of Ukraine. This also applies to officer positions.

The bill also provides for the establishment of a recruitment center for foreigners. There, they will undergo a vetting process that will determine:

• whether the persons in question are legally on the territory of Ukraine;
• whether they have been brought to administrative or criminal liability under the laws of Ukraine;
• whether they are involved in the intelligence and subversive activities of foreign countries against Ukraine;
• as well as other circumstances that may prevent such a person from being accepted for military service under a contract.

“The need to improve the legislation has arisen due to the difficult operational situation on the front line, which requires a significant increase in the number of combatants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations both through additional mobilization measures and by voluntarily recruiting all those who have the appropriate military specialties and combat experience, including foreigners and stateless persons, for military service under the contract,” the explanatory statement reads.

On September 17, the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of draft law No. 12023 on military service in Ukraine by foreigners and stateless persons in the first reading.

Service of foreign volunteers in Ukraine

In late August, the Parliament passed a bill on the legal status of foreigners and stateless persons fighting in Ukraine. The document will allow foreign legionnaires to obtain temporary residence permits or immigrate under a simplified procedure.