The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, held a meeting with representatives of the Defense Forces and members of parliament on the involvement of foreign nationals and stateless persons in military service under contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard.
The meeting focused on the service conditions for foreign nationals already involved in Ukraine’s defense, as well as opportunities to expand recruitment further. The engagement of foreign nationals is carried out in compliance with international humanitarian law and the laws of Ukraine.
The Head of the Office of the President noted that, at present, recruitment, assessment of fitness, and training of contract personnel from other countries are handled by different structures, which complicates the system of control, coordination of needs, and provision of support to service members.
“Ukraine needs the creation of a unified coordination center for the recruitment of foreign nationals into military service. This should be a dedicated structural unit covering all stages: from search, selection, and transportation to training, support, and other needs of foreign nationals,” Kyrylo Budanov said.
Deputy Head of the Office of the President Pavlo Palisa added that the training and support of foreign nationals could be partially taken on by specific units of the Armed Forces or the National Guard, which are interested not only in increasing personnel but also in training them according to their own experience and methodology.
The meeting also discussed the involvement of interpreters to ensure effective communication.
Participants agreed to work throughout May on establishing the relevant structural unit within the Ministry of Defense, to present a program for developing the recruitment system for foreign nationals and stateless persons, and to draft proposals for legislative regulation of the identified issues. The new unit is expected to provide support to service members throughout their entire period of service.