Czech President allows 40 citizens to fight alongside Ukraine in 2024

This was reported by Radio iRozhlas, Ukrinform saw.

It is noted that twice as many permits were granted than in the previous year. Among the applicants whose requests were approved, there were three females.

 “Last year, the Minister of Defense forwarded to president a total of 114 applications from 109 applicants. Five people applied for the second time,” said Filip Platoš, spokesman for the Office of the Head of State.

In total, throughout his term, Petr Pavel received applications from 181 Czech citizens willing to serve with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, satisfying 60 and rejecting 121 of those. It is noted that the most common reason for refusal was a negative conclusion from one of the three ministries (defense, interior, or foreign affairs).

"In general, we evaluate the appeal from a criminal law point of view, for example, whether an applicant has previously been brought to criminal liability, whether they have been convicted, etc. Or from the point of view of official occupation, that is, whether the applicant is part of the security forces. In such cases, we do not recommend consent," explained the spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, Ondřej Kratoška.

At the same time, a permit can be obtained by those holding dual citizenship or those who would like to serve in one of the NATO armies.

Since Czech legislation prohibits service in foreign armed forces, obtaining such a permit is the only way for those who seek to legally help Ukraine up in arms.

It is noted that compared to last year, there has been increased interest of Czechs in participating in the armed defense of Ukraine. In total, 667 such appeals have been filed since the start of the full-scale war, most of which, 477, were submitted to former President Miloš Zeman, who granted permits to 132 applicants.

As reported earlier, on October 28, 2024, President Petr Pavel awarded the Medal of Heroism to 22-year-old Karel Kučera, who had fought as part of the International Legion and was killed in action near Bakhmut on March 18, 2023. Kučera officially became the second Czech national to be killed in the war in Ukraine.

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