South American Soldiers Leaving South America to Go TO Ukraine's Army for Higher Pay

South American soldiers head to Ukraine frontline for better pay By Ethan Evans, 1 days ago Ukraine's Armed Forces has welcomed recruits from 72 different nations, with nearly 40% originating from South America, according to reports. Kostiantyn Milevskyi, the officer overseeing foreign enlistment coordination, says this figure demonstrates a growing international presence in the country's defense efforts against Russia's attempted invasion. Speaking to hromadske, a Ukrainian independent media outlet, he detailed how foreign recruitment has surged dramatically since the initial stages of Russia's assault. Statistics show they were accepting between 100 to 150 international volunteers monthly in 2022, but this figure has since climbed substantially to around 600. The Ukrainian government has facilitated this growth by funding travel expenses for incoming international volunteers and providing temporary residence permits, reports the Express. Milevskyi stated: "We can say that the percentage of foreign nationals in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has increased, this has been influenced by the launch of our Foreign Recruitment Center." Hromadske reports that over 8,000 foreign nationals have enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the total count across all military branches likely reaching double that amount. Specific countries of origin remain classified for operational security purposes, though Milevskyi did acknowledge that significant numbers have arrived from Colombia. He said: "They've openly admitted many times that the level of pay in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently much higher than in their home militaries. "But these are also people with military experience, and they want to continue doing what they've been trained for, further developing their skills here, and, of course, to earn a decent wage." Ukraine has been in a state of conflict with Russia since 2014 Meanwhile, a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has been arranged, according to a Kremlin official, and could potentially occur next week at a location that has been determined "in principle". "At the suggestion of the American side, it has been agreed in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days," Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters. Next week serves as the target timeframe for a summit, Mr Ushakov stated, while acknowledging that such gatherings require time to coordinate and no date has been finalized. A summit between Mr Putin and Mr Trump would mark their first encounter since the Republican president resumed office this year. It would represent a major development in the conflict, though there is no guarantee such a meeting would result in the cessation of hostilities, since Russia and Ukraine remain deeply divided on their respective terms. 452