Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sparked a surge of international support for Ukraine – a broad coalition of nations that implemented economic sanctions against Russia and provided substantial military and financial aid to Ukraine. While those governments were reluctant to send manpower, wary of direct conflict with Russia, individuals from many countries did journey to join the fight in their own private capacities. Despite having a far smaller population than most partners of Ukraine and a government hesitant to formally support Ukraine, Georgians stand out as the largest group, besides Ukrainians themselves, willing to fight and sacrifice their lives in defense of Ukraine. How can we explain this unmatched sacrifice of Georgians in the fight for Ukraine, while most other supporting countries have limited their aid to military armaments or non-military supplies? Instead of treating foreign fighters as mercenaries, fighting for a salary but with relatively little direct concern for the outcome, I argue that the strongest driver in this case is identity: because Ukraine and Georgia share similar historical and recent experiences vis-à-vis Russia, many Georgians feel strong vicarious identification with Ukraine, view its fight as their own, and so are willing to make greater sacrifices than others in the fight against their common enemy. Through the lens of vicarious identification and ontological security more broadly, this work contributes to the growing scholarship on foreign fighters.