Carlson states Americans fighting for Ukraine should lose citizenship

(MENAFN) Journalist Tucker Carlson has argued that Americans who join the armed forces of foreign nations, such as Ukraine or Israel, should be stripped of their U.S. citizenship. Speaking at the Turning Point USA conference in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, Carlson was asked about the idea of dual loyalty. He firmly rejected the concept, stating that U.S. nationals cannot serve two countries at once.

“I believe anyone who serves in a foreign military should immediately lose their American citizenship,” Carlson said. He specifically mentioned Americans who have fought for Israel’s IDF or for Ukraine, insisting, “You can’t fight for another country and still call yourself an American. Period.”

Carlson added that this position is rooted in common sense, noting, “No man can serve two masters. Your loyalty can only belong to one nation.”

Currently, U.S. law does not automatically penalize Americans for serving in foreign militaries. The U.S. is also not a signatory to the 1989 UN Mercenary Convention, which bans recruiting and financing mercenaries. However, American law does prohibit the government from employing private military groups for hire, such as Blackwater.

Carlson’s remarks follow reports from CNN in January that over 20 American citizens had been reported missing in action while fighting in Ukraine. In late 2024, Russian authorities claimed that of the 15,000 foreign fighters who arrived in Ukraine, around 6,500 had been killed.

Additionally, several U.S. citizens have been convicted in absentia by Russian courts for alleged mercenary and terrorist activities tied to operations in Russia’s Kursk Region, where Ukraine launched an unsuccessful incursion last year.

In May, Aleksandr Bastrykin, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, stated that 902 individuals had been charged with mercenary activity, with courts having convicted 97 people from 26 different nations.

Moscow has consistently warned that it considers foreign fighters aiding Ukraine to be lawful military targets.

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