I agree.
Most of these folks are cannon fodder, ex: https://www.euronews.com/2023/09/08/up-to-3400-per-month-meet-the-spanish-company-recruiting-fighters-for-ukraine
We’re also recruiting really heavy in South America: Columbia, Brazil...
But you have high end US and UK firms that are in that business and they pay very, very well. These firms change their names faster than you change your underwear, but they are essentially being paid by the US and UK government through a third party so it’s not directly the USG hiring mercenaries.
That is probably -exactly- the case.