Slovak president denies all requests from citizens wanting to fight in Ukraine

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini recently rejected all four requests from Slovak citizens wishing to join Ukraine's armed forces, Slovak media source TASR reported on Nov. 3.

Pellegrini emphasized that unauthorized foreign military service constitutes a crime subject to prosecution in Slovakia.

This decision also reflects his alignment with Prime Minister Robert Fico’s stance against military support for Ukraine and contrasts with the policy of Pellegrini's predecessor, Zuzana Caputova, who had approved similar applications.

This Slovak policy differs from neighboring Czechia, where President Petr Pavel has permitted 60 Czech citizens to serve with Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine's International Legion was launched at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, attracting foreigners who volunteered to defend Ukraine.

Citizens from over 50 countries have joined the unit since the start of the full-scale invasion, including military veterans from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Europe, and beyond, Ukraine's military intelligence said.

Ukraine, Lithuania to produce drones, electronic warfare under new memorandum

Under the document, Kyiv and Vilnius will jointly produce drones and parts for them, ammunition and components, and electronic warfare systems.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova