Icelanders Advised Not to Fight in Ukraine

The Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises Icelanders not to travel to Ukraine to fight in the war that has resulted from Russia’s invasion of the country, Morgunblaðið reports.

“We strongly advise against it,” states Sveinn Guðmarsson, the Ministry’s communications director. “Due to the circumstances, no citizen services can be provided in such places.”

He states that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has not received any information regarding individuals who want to join the Ukrainian armed forces. He adds that the Ministry can’t rule out the possibility that someone may have left already or intend to do so without reporting it to the Ministry.

Sveinn is asked if Icelandic citizens living in Ukraine have been advised to return to Iceland. He responds that no such advice was sent to people, but they were informed of the situation.

“We keep in touch with those who have contacted us,” he states.

Twenty thousand  foreign volunteers have traveled to Ukraine, intending to help defend the country against the Russian invasion. Most of them come from Europe, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially invited foreigners to the country to form an international brigade of volunteers to join the fight against the invasion. The request for volunteers was sent from Ukrainian embassies.

Authorities in Denmark and the Czech Republic are among those who have given their citizens a green light to go to Ukraine to fight.