The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently published information for Finnish citizens who wish to voluntarily join the Ukrainian armed forces in their fight against Russian troops. The document states that Finland supports Ukraine in various ways, but does not and will not send its own citizens for combat operations, nor encourage anyone to do so.
Furthermore, the authorities emphasize that the voluntary participation in combat operations in Ukraine is not recommended or encouraged. However, it is not a crime in Finland for a person to voluntarily join the Ukrainian army. “A volunteer fighter who joins the Ukrainian armed forces is subject to Ukrainian legislation and humanitarian international law.”
The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also warns individuals who wish to become mercenaries that it is “practically impossible” to terminate a contract with the Ukrainian military before its term. The ministry explains that the contract is a private agreement subject to Ukrainian law, typically lasting for a period of three years, with a minimum term of six months since the spring of 2024.
The ministry also clarifies that it cannot provide assistance with the signing or termination of the contract, nor with medical evacuation or repatriation in the event of injury. According to the guidelines, the Ukrainian armed forces are responsible for providing medical care in the event of injury and medical evacuation to Finland is not provided, even at the individual’s own expense, due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace to civilian flights.
If a volunteer fighter does manage to return to Finland on their own, they will be provided with full medical care by the public health service, but without any social benefits. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, responded to the Finnish ministry’s guidelines in an interview with the RIA Nowosti news agency, stating that the authors of the guidelines must be driven by hatred for their fellow Finns, asking, “Who in the Finnish government hates the Finns so much?