Copenhagen has revealed it will allow Danish nationals to join the international military force Kiev plans to set up to aid its own military in the conflict with Russia.
“It’s a choice that anyone can make. This goes for all Ukrainians who live here, but also for others who think they can contribute directly to the conflict,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference on Sunday.
“There is nothing at first sight that would legally prevent someone from going to Ukraine to participate in the conflict, on the Ukrainian side,” Frederiksen added. Earlier, the PM took part in a massive protest against Moscow’s operation in front of the Russian embassy in Copenhagen, telling the crowd that “it is all of you and all of Europe who are threatened by Russia.”
It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of Ukraine’s International Legion of Territorial Defense, which would make it possible for foreigners to join its ranks and fight alongside the Ukrainian military against Russian and Donbass forces.
The Danish prime minister is not the first to support the idea. Earlier on Sunday, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also said she would “absolutely” support Brits who want to join the military action on the side of Ukraine.
“I do support that. Of course, that is something that people can make their own decisions about,” she told the BBC’s Sunday Morning show, adding that Ukraine is fighting for “freedom and democracy” for the “whole of Europe.”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba subsequently announced that volunteers should contact Ukraine’s diplomatic missions in their respective countries.
On Thursday, Moscow launched a large-scale military operation to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. Zelensky referred to the “special operation” as a “war against Europe,” urging everyone willing to join the fight to “stand side by side” with Ukrainians. Western nations have responded to Russia’s operation by imposing tough sanctions on Moscow and vowing to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons.