The UK will support Brits heading to Ukraine to fight, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced.
This morning (Sunday 27 February), Truss said she would support British nationals who choose to go and fight alongside the Ukrainian forces as they continue to defend their country against Russian invasion.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme if she would support UK citizens who choose to respond to Ukraine’s calls for help, Truss said: “That is something people can make their own decisions about.
“The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.
“Absolutely, if people want to support that struggle I would support them in doing that.”
According to the BBC, the UK had previously prosecuted people who travelled to the Middle East to fight for or against the Islamic State.
Truss said the conflict is a ‘desperate situation’, and that Britain ‘has always welcomed refugees fleeing from war’.
“We are urgently looking at what more we can do to facilitate that,” she added, also saying the UK and other Western allies would continue to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already promised to arm foreign volunteers who travel to Ukraine to join the battle against Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Earlier today, the presidential website published a statement announcing the creation of an ‘International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine’.
“The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is addressing all citizens of the world, friends of Ukraine, peace and democracy,” it said.
“Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukranians against the Russian war criminals.
“According to Regulation on Military Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine by citizens of their countries and stateless persons approved by Decree of the President of Ukraine # 248 of June 10, 2016, foreigners have the right to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine for military service under contract of a voluntary basis to be included in the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forced of Ukraine.
“A separate subdivision is being formed of foreigners entitled the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine. There is no greater contribution witch you can make for the sake of peace.”
In a tweet, Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dymtro Kuleba also said: “Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries.”
He added: “Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too.”
