Americans who travel to Ukraine and fight with Ukrainian forces in the ongoing war will be treated by Russians as “mercenaries” or foreign fighters, Russians have said, which puts them at a greater risk of mistreatment, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a briefing on Friday.
US citizens could also face criminal prosecution, capture or death from Russia for fighting on behalf of Ukraine in the war, Price said, adding that the US will also not be able to evacuate American citizens from Ukraine at any point.
“US citizens who travel to Ukraine especially with the purpose of participating and fighting there, they face significant risks, including the very real risk of capture or death. The United States, as you know, is not able to provide assistance to evacuate US citizens from Ukraine, including those Americans who may decide to travel to Ukraine to participate in the ongoing war,” Price said.
The State Department encourages US citizens to help Ukraine in “constructive” ways through humanitarian assistance and other means, Price said.
“We continue to urge US citizens not to travel to Ukraine for their safety regardless of the underlying purpose, we continue to encourage them to diver their energies towards safe, constructive, volunteer or civil society activities,” Price said.
Asked by CNN if the State Department was aware of US citizens who have traveled to fight alongside the Ukrainians, Price said that is not something they would track as citizens are not required to register when they travel abroad.
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