From war-torn eastern Ukraine, a young American man named Hunter has called on his compatriots and other foreigners around the globe to come help the insurgents battle Kiev government forces.
In the three-minute video, posted on YouTube on Sunday by the pro-Russian separatist group "Patriot Forces of Donbass," a man who refers himself as Hunter tells viewers he came to eastern Ukraine from the American state of Illinois about a month ago to "help Novorossiya become an independent state."
Novorossiya, or New Russia, is the name used by separatists in eastern Ukraine to describe the sovereign state they hope to establish there.
When asked for his thoughts on the current political situation, Hunter — decked out in full military uniform and wearing the separatists' beloved St. George ribbons — admits his knowledge of the situation is "limited."
But he says that "it seems the Kiev junta wants to maintain control over this area, Donbass, and the people of Donbass want to be independent of the Kiev junta. It seems to be a very simple, straightforward situation. And the Kiev junta does not necessarily, I believe, reflect … they don't consider the popular opinion of the people of Donbass. So that's why this issue is happening."
He goes on to urge foreigners in general, and Americans in particular, to come join the pro-Russian separatists' fight.
"If people want to come here, particularly from the West, the Western world, it'd be good to come here. Especially if they have military experience. … U.S. military experience would be very valuable here too."
Hunter also offers a message to the Ukrainian authorities, saying that "it'd be better, it'd be better for everybody if they would just come to a peaceful resolution, give a reasonable amount of territory to the new state of Novorossiya, and make a peaceful arrangement."
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