In Belgium, around 110 individuals reported to the Ukrainian embassy in Brussels are willing to be a part of the “international territorial defence legion.”
At the end of February month, the legion was established by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Maximum 18 individuals of different nationalities have already joined the armed forces.
Moreover, the second secretary at the embassy named Vladyslava Litiaga mentioned, “We interviewed 50 people” to make sure the volunteers have both “military combat experience and a clean criminal record.”
Along with this, the embassy mentioned they are working utmost on the profile of every volunteer. The diplomatic services further added, “careful scan of the candidates’ Facebook profiles to detect signs of possible radicalization.”
Russia’s full-scale military operation has made the situation worse in Ukraine. To support them, the lawyers from the Ukrainian consulates are working to ensure the legality of sending the individuals into combat.
However, in the previous week, the Belgian authorities have confirmed that “the departure of these volunteers to join the Ukrainian army does not in itself constitute an offence, not even according to the Belgian law relating to mercenaries.”
Furthermore, on Wednesday, Justice Chief Vincent Van Quickenborn of Belgium mentioned that State Security Services would observe the profile of the volunteers in reaction to questions from parliamentarian Marie-Christine Marghem at a Justice Committee meeting.
The new group of volunteers will soon leave from Belgium to Ukraine, the Embassy of Ukraine has mentioned, without specifying their number or when they are going to leave.