UK’s Liz Truss: I support Brits who take up arms against Putin

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she supports British citizens heading to Ukraine to join the fight against Russia.

Describing the war as a fight for freedom and democracy in Europe, Truss said she backed people deciding to make the trip to the conflict zone to counter Russian troops.

“The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but also for the whole of Europe because that is what President [Vladimir] Putin is challenging. And absolutely, if people want to support that struggle, I would support them in doing that,” Truss told the BBC’s Sunday Morning program. Asked to clarify if that meant taking up arms she said, “Absolutely if that’s what they want to do.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has set up an international legion to accommodate foreign fighters. His ambassador in London said the embassy had been “bombarded” with people wanting to join the fight. “You wouldn’t believe it. It’s not just Ukrainians. Everybody, from all the nations just asking how we can get in,” Vadym Prystaiko told the BBC.

The U.K. government has been criticized for not relaxing visa requirements for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict as other countries including Ireland have done. Kevin Foster, a junior immigration minister, tweeted on Saturday that Ukrainians could apply for a seasonal workers visa, implying that they would be welcome in the country if they were prepared to pick fruit.

Asked about the tweet on Sunday, Truss said: “I believe that tweet has been deleted. We are working on what more we can do to support refugees coming out of Ukraine, working with our European allies.”

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Truss said the government would toughen sanctions against Russian oligarchs with assets in London. “We have to make it deeply painful for the oligarchs that support the Putin regime. There are over a hundred Russian billionaires . . . Nothing is off the table in terms of who or what we are targeting. We are very clear about that — we are very prepared to do what it takes.”