Slovak president allows seven volunteer fighters to join Ukrainian Armed Forces

Slovakia's President Zuzana Caputova has allowed the first seven Slovaks to participate in hostilities on the side of Ukraine.

That's according to the Slovak news outlet Pravda, Ukrinform reports.

"As of Monday, January 9, the president issued a total of 26 decisions, of which seven allow and 19 do not allow service in a foreign army," Martin Strizinec, the president's spokesperson, told Pravda.

However, the presidential office does not publish details about these persons for security reasons.

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The report notes that Slovak legislation considers joining the armed forces of a foreign country as a criminal offense punishable by up to ten years in prison. To obtain the appropriate permission, it is necessary to contact the president of the country.

Several European countries, such as Denmark and Latvia, immediately allowed their citizens to participate in hostilities in Ukraine.

According to the report, the Czech authorities also responded in an exemplary manner. In the first few days, the Czech Ministry of Defense received approximately 100 requests for permission to participate in the battles, which must be approved by the head of state.

Since there is no collective possibility of such consent in the Czech Republic, President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Petr Fiala agreed on guarantees of impunity. They announced that the president would grant amnesty to these people after they return home.