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The Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria has said that Nigerians who are willing to travel to Ukraine to fight Russian forces must be willing to provide $1,000 each for their tickets and visas.
The Embassy stated this when Nigerian volunteers converged on its premises in Abuja on Thursday to express their readiness to join the Ukrainian side in the fight with Russia.
The Second Secretary at the Ukrainian Embassy to Nigeria, Bohdan Soltys, confirmed that $1,000 would be needed by each Nigerian volunteer.
Soltys further told LEADERSHIP that it would be difficult for the volunteers to travel to Ukraine now since the airspace had been shut due to the war with Russia.
He said since Nigerians needed visas to visit Romania and Poland, it would be difficult for them to use the land borders.
“It is normal practice when people want to volunteer and join the Army of another country. It is a normal international practice. Of course, for us, it is an expression of support which we really appreciate. For now, no one has gone. We have received hundreds of applications from people who said they are willing. We have sent lists to the government but I cannot tell you what will happen next.
“In this particular case, you cannot fly to Ukraine. The only way you can fly is to countries that border Ukraine. All these countries are part of the EU and Nigerians will need visas to visit these countries. So, it is a big obstacle. You cannot fly directly to Ukraine. You will have to go to Poland or Hungary,” Soltys explained.
He, therefore, advised Nigerians not to focus on the money, promising that Nigerian volunteers would be paid the same as Ukrainian soldiers.
“If a person wants to fight for Ukraine or any other country, only volunteers can do it. If Ukraine pays these people, they will be mercenaries and it violates international law… In general, when a person joins another country’s Army, they pay the normal price that their soldiers are paid. This is how it works across the world. You come to fight because an injustice has been done,” he said.
On why $1,000 was being demanded from Nigerian volunteers, he said: “Yes, $1,000. That is what I paid the last time I visited Ukraine.”