New enemy for Ukraine in the European Union
In response to Russia’s massive invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, created the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.
The initiative was aimed at attracting foreign volunteers to support Ukraine’s defense efforts, leading to about 20,000 foreign fighters joining Ukrainian forces since then.
But in Slovakia, support for Ukraine is no longer wanted. Slovak President, Pellegrini, has rejected all applications from citizens to join Ukrainian forces. The Slovak President’s Office has reiterated that citizens face criminal prosecution if they join foreign military forces without the president’s permission.
The move is in line with Pellegrini’s campaign position, which supported Prime Minister Robert Fico’s position to halt arms supplies to Ukraine. After his election in April, Pellegrini called the ongoing war "a tragedy that has yielded no results in two years."
During discussions about Ukraine's potential NATO membership, Pellegrini also called the prospect "unrealistic," while stressing that the issue was not on the agenda for now.
(MH with AmBar/Source: Euromaidan/Photo: DPA/NurPhoto/Nicolas Economou)