The Slovak Presidency reaffirmed that citizens could face criminal prosecution if they join foreign military forces without presidential approval. President Pellegrini, however, rejected all pending requests, a departure from the policy of his predecessor.
According to TASR, the Slovak president Peter Pellegrini rejected all four requests by Slovak citizens who wanted to join the Ukrainian armed force.
In response to Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022 the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy created the International Legion for the Territorial Defence of Ukraine. This initiative was designed to attract foreign volunteers who would support Ukraine’s defence efforts. Since then, approximately 20,000 foreign soldiers have joined Ukrainian forces.
According to TASR, the President’s Office said that citizens of Slovakia must seek permission from the president in advance before serving in the armed services of another country. The office also stressed that unauthorized service is a criminal offence in Slovakia.
The decision is in line with Pellegrini’s campaign position supporting Prime Minister Robert Fico’s position to stop weapons supplies from state reserves to Ukraine. Pellegrini, who was elected in April, characterized the ongoing conflict as “a tragedy” that has not produced any results in two years.
Pellegrini, in discussions about Ukraine’s possible NATO membership, also described the prospect of the possibility as “not realistic” while highlighting that the issue is not currently on the agenda.
This is a departure from the approach of his predecessor Zuzana Kaputova, who had approved a number of such applications during her tenure.
TASR reports that one of the four applications Pellegrini denied was submitted initially during Caputova’s presidency, but a final decision was taken under his administration.
According to recent reports, the Slovak approach contrasts to that of neighboring Czechia where President Petr Pav has authorized 60 Czech nationals to join Ukrainian forces.
Four Czech volunteers died in the war. Karel Kucera was among them. He received a Medal for Heroism posthumously on Czech Independence Day. Kucera entered the war without permission from then-President Milos Zéman.
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