"We have received thousands of applications from people who want to protect global security from Vladimir Putin regime," Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in a statement late Monday.
With Russian forces bearing down on Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the formation of a new "international legion" to help defend his country.
He has appealed to foreign volunteers to come forward, promising them arms to fight against the invading army.
Zelenskyy's call for an international legion carried echoes of the International Brigade, which fought against the fascists – backed by Nazi Germany – in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appeared to encourage the comparison, saying that just as Hitler had finally been defeated, "we will defeat Putin, too."
"Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries," he tweeted.
"Together, we defeated Hitler and we will defeat Putin, too."
