The Czech Republic is considering creating the Ukrainian Legion, Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová said, Suspilne reports.
The idea is to allow Ukrainian refugees to voluntarily join the Legion.
Earlier, Poland proposed to organize military training for Ukrainians outside Ukraine, including refugees.
According to Radio Prague, Černochová said that there are currently discussions about Ukrainian refugees being able to join the Legion on a voluntary basis and help their homeland. Ukrainians who already have Czech citizenship could also join the Legion.
The Ukrainian community living in the Czech Republic is numerous, even despite the wave that came as a result of the war. So it would make sense. We want to continue training the Ukrainian military, so why don’t we also train Czech citizens, Ukrainians by nationality, and create some kind of an entity out of them, – the minister said on Czech television.
Karel Čapek, a spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Defense, told Novinky.cz that the ministry is currently evaluating the Polish project from a practical and legal perspective. This was confirmed by another spokesman for the ministry, David Polak.
The Ministry of Defense is collecting more information from the Polish side about the formation of the so-called “Ukrainian Legion”. When we collect this information, we will consider the possibility of our involvement, – he told online publication iDnes.cz.
David Polak also reminded that the Czech Armed Forces, meanwhile, continue to train Ukrainian soldiers who come from Ukraine.
