Denmark and Latvia give free rein to their citizens to join the Ukrainian Army

Ukrainian reservists queue up at a police station in central Kiev to enlist. / AFP

The Zelensky government is sure that it already has “several thousand requests” from foreigners who want to join its cause

“Anyone who wants to join the Ukrainian, European and world defense can come and fight for Ukraine against Russian war criminals.” This is the call made by President Volodimir Zelensky on Sunday. Anything goes to resist in a war in which the Ukrainian media leader knows he is weaker in terms of troops, but much more adept at handling communication. Hence, his call has not fallen on deaf ears and that some European political leaders have given the go-ahead for their citizens to join what Zelensky himself has called the International Legion for Territorial Defense of Ukraine.

The request is not anecdotal and recalls those international brigades that fought in the Spanish Civil War, to give a close example. The Ukrainian Government assures that its Army already has squads made up of foreign volunteers and has also established mechanisms so that accessions are made from other countries. They just have to contact the Embassy of Ukraine in their territory.

There are no official figures on how many people are getting involved. Among other things, because in many countries legislation is in force that prohibits taking part in foreign armed conflicts. This is the case of Spain and also of the United Kingdom, where the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 is in force. Despite this, the British Foreign Minister, Liz Truss, assured on Sunday that she will support the British who want to go to Ukraine to to struggle.

“That is a matter that people can make their own decisions about. The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe,” he told the BBC. However, this Monday, his cabinet partner and defense minister, Ben Wallace, asked the British not to join the squads. “There are better ways to help in the conflict,” he settled, although without explicitly prohibiting movement.

unanimous support

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also gave her fellow citizens permission to take part in the contest on Sunday. “It is a choice that anyone can make. This applies to all Ukrainians who live here, but also to others who think they can directly contribute to the conflict », she revealed. Latvia has gone further and on Monday its Parliament unanimously approved several amendments to existing laws to allow Latvians to enlist as volunteers in the Ukrainian Army. To do so, they only have to register “immediately with the Reserve Unit of the Latvian Armed Forces,” the authorities of the Baltic country recommended.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister, Hanna Maliar, said Monday that her government already has “several thousand” requests from foreign citizens to fight. “We are building an international legion,” she assured through her Facebook account. Other Ukrainian official sources speak of an “overwhelming” number of people of all nationalities who have shown interest in their embassies to come to fight.

In the Spanish case there are no official figures either, although there are specific cases of people who have come to the area in recent years to support both sides. In any case, this behavior is classified as a crime and includes prison sentences.