Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Local Syrian sources: An Israeli airstrike targeted a tank and artillery battalion in the city of Izraa in the Daraa countryside
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in eastern Lebanon: 12 martyrs and 5 wounded in Israeli raids targeting the outskirts of Wadi Fa'ra in the northern Bekaa Valley
Local Syrian sources: More than 10 Israeli raids targeted Sweida, with information about more than five casualties from the Internal Security Forces
Local Syrian sources: Initial reports indicate that approximately 15 people were killed or wounded at the al-Radwan family's guest house in Sweida following a direct exchange of gunfire
Israeli media, citing Israeli political sources, reported that the Shas movement is expected to withdraw from the government within less than 24 hours
Qatari Foreign Ministry: Negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are still in the first stage. We are continuing our efforts around the clock
Channel 14, citing a senior Israeli political source, reported: The attacks in Syria and Tel Aviv's offensive policy are coordinated with the Americans
Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Operations Center: Six injured as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon
Israeli media: The Israeli Air Force has launched a wave of large-scale attacks on southern Syria
UNRWA: One in 10 children in Gaza suffers from malnutrition

First volunteer militants leave Belgium to join Ukrainian brigades

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 4 Mar 2022 15:32
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Volunteers from Belgium have answered Ukrainian President Zelensky's call for an "international brigade" to support Ukraine.

  • x
  • First volunteer fighters leave Belgium to join Ukrainian brigades
    Protest in Brussels in solidarity with Ukraine

The first batch of volunteer militants left Belgium Thursday to back Ukraine in the face of Russia, despite official Belgian advice not to go.

According to Ukraine's Embassy in Belgium, seven guys were heading from Brussels to the Polish-Ukrainian border on a coach provided by the Embassy and driven by a volunteer driver.

The foreign militants volunteered after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for foreigners to join an "international brigade" on Saturday.

Around 16,000 foreigners have so far answered the call from some 20 nationalities, Zelensky said Thursday, according to the Reuters news agency.

"They are in the embassy now and they are leaving right now," a Ukrainian diplomat said Thursday afternoon, speaking of the first men from Belgium.

Out of the 70 men who had contacted the Ukrainian Embassy to volunteer, another 18 were expected to follow in the coming days after completing Ukrainian application paperwork and interviews.

Men from Brazil, France, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Morocco, and Sweden, many of whom had prior military experience, applied alongside Belgians.

International hotlines have also been established by Ukrainian authorities to assist foreign fighters in joining the front lines.

There were some 400 fighters coming from Sweden, media there said. Another 70 volunteers, including 50 former soldiers, were also coming from as far afield as Japan, Reuters reported.

Related News

Lavrov seeks clarity on Trump's ceasefire or secondary tariffs threat

Russia downs 55 Ukrainian drones in overnight cross-border assault

Many Belarusian volunteers have been fighting against Russia in east Ukraine for years, but their numbers are growing, a Belarusian opposition source who did not want to be identified claimed.

But the Belgian Foreign Ministry's advice is for people not to go. "Our advice is clear: do not travel to Ukraine for any purpose or reason due to the security situation," a Belgian spokesperson told EUobserver.

The Belgian Interior Ministry is studying the legal implications of foreign militants, looking into questions such as: whether volunteers would be committing murder if they killed people in Ukraine, and whether their status would be as prisoners-of-war or civilian captives, were they to be captured by Russian forces.

Volunteers to "the rescue"

The foreign militants will also be operating in an environment where EU and NATO countries, such as Germany, the Nordic states, the Baltic states, and the Netherlands have been supplying small arms, anti-tank, and anti-aircraft missiles, much of which has been delivered across the Polish border before supply routes have been cut.

Russia has threatened NATO states, which meddle in the fight, with retaliation.

The Belgian Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the fact that volunteers were being allowed to travel could in no way be construed as violating NATO's promise to stay out of the fighting.

Russia martial law

Following Ukrainian proposals for an oil and gas embargo, EU foreign ministers are set to debate additional economic measures against Russia at a meeting on Friday.

"There is talk of martial law legislation being introduced Friday," Vladimir Ashurkov, a Russian émigré living in London told EUobserver. "This would be seen as a bad sign" of how the conflict was going for Putin, he said.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday denied the reports.

According to an EU diplomat, if martial law is imposed, it could stop Russians from leaving the country and it could mean media blackouts, fast-track jail sentences for dissidents, and mass military mobilization.

Even as relations with the West deteriorated, some EU countries, notably France, have urged their citizens to leave Russia, citing concerns that European and Russian aviation restrictions, which the West initiated, and counter-sanctions could trap people.

  • Russia
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • Dmitry Peskov
  • Ukraine
  • Belgium

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025
An Israeli soldier abandons an excavator during an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades. Arabic text reads "The moment the soldier fled", July, 10, 2025 (Al Qassam Military Media)

Israeli media rue al-Qassam footage, alarmed by fighters among troops

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Al Mayadeen: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned
Politics

Exclusive: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned

Rutte, Trump
US & Canada

Trump threatens 100% secondary tariffs on Russia, sets deadline

Syrian government soldiers on a motorcycle pass by a burning tank on the outskirts of Sweida city, where clashes erupted between the Druze community and Bedouine clans, in southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli airstrikes target Syrian military factions near Sweida

Lebanon, US, disarmament
MENA

US pressure on Lebanon grows over Resistance disarmament plan

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS