American Foreign Fighters in Ukraine: Motivations, Profiles, and Risk-assessment
By: Jean-François Ratelle (affiliated researcher and adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa)
Margaux Knoerr (recent graduate from the University of Ottawa specializing in Conflict Studies and Human Rights with diverse experience in federal government operations)
Since the outbreak of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a significant number of American citizens have voluntarily traveled to fight alongside Ukrainian forces. These individuals, motivated by a mix of personal convictions and opportunistic motivations, have joined the conflict despite the United States not being formally involved in the war.
Utilizing an original open-source dataset, this report firstly profiles American foreign fighters in Ukraine post-2022, examining their motivations, supporting organizations, and wartime roles. Subsequently, it analyzes the challenges and vulnerabilities confronting returning American fighters, with a focus on mental health needs, available reintegration programs in the United States (U.S.), and the broader social and political landscape, including potential implications of a second Trump presidency. It concludes that while not ideologically attracted to extremist ideologies or indoctrinated in Ukraine, these fighters still pose a non-negligible security risk due to a lack of recognition for their efforts, limited psychological support, and the changing political climate in the country.