Foreign Fighters in Ukraine and Beyond

About this episode

Episode 145 explores the role and motivations of foreign fighters in various conflicts, including Ukraine and ISIS.

Episode 145 examines the role of foreign fighters in war. Our guests begin by highlighting the long history of foreign fighters in conflict, from the early United States and the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s to contemporary cases such as the International Legion in Ukraine and the role of foreign fighters in ISIS. The conversation then turns to why individuals risk their lives for others in far away lands, with motivations ranging from financial incentives and ideological commitments to deeply personal reasons. Finally, the discussion concludes by examining the impact foreign fighters have on the battlefield – with the results often being mixed. Dr. David Malet is an Associate Professor at American University whose research focuses on foreign fighter recruitment, insurgency, and transnational conflict dynamics. He is the author of the book Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civil Conflicts, a comprehensive study of why and how individuals join wars far from home. Colin Freeman is a British journalist and former chief foreign correspondent for The Sunday Telegraph. He has reported extensively from conflict zones around the world, including recently in Ukraine. His book…

People in this episode

Host: Kyle Atwell

Guests: Dr. David Malet, Colin Freeman

Topics covered

• foreign fighters
• war
• conflict
• motivation
• battlefield impact
• transnational conflict

Keywords

• foreign fighters
• Ukraine
• ISIS
• motivation
• conflict history
• battlefield impact
• transnational identity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American University, The Sunday Telegraph

Books & works: Foreign Fighters: Transnational Identity in Civil Conflicts, The Mad and the Brave: The Untold Story of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion

Places: Ukraine

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