Latvia authorises its nationals to volunteer to fight in Ukraine

"Our countrymen who wish to help Ukraine and volunteer to serve there to protect Ukraine's independence and our common security must be free to do so," said Juris Rancanis, head of the parliamentary defence, home affairs, and corruption prevention panel, which authored the legislation.  

Latvia's parliament voted unanimously on Monday to enable its citizens to fight in Ukraine if they so want, according to a statement from the legislature. "Our countrymen who wish to help Ukraine and volunteer to serve there to protect Ukraine's independence and our common security must be free to do so," said Juris Rancanis, head of the parliamentary defence, home affairs, and corruption prevention panel, which authored the legislation.

Latvia and Lithuania had decided to bar Russian airlines from using their airspace. "Latvian airspace will be blocked to flights by Russian planes," Latvia's Justice and Transport Ministers stated on Saturday. Lithuania's Cabinet of Ministers supported the same move, barring Russian airlines from accessing its airspace.

As previously reported, Estonia chose to limit its airspace to Russian flights. The diplomat who made the announcement urged his Baltic colleagues to "do the same in order to block Russia off from European airspace."

Russia banned its airspace to planes from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovenia on Sunday as a form of retaliation for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Russia stated on Saturday that it will prohibit flights from Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Austrian Airlines, Austria's national carrier, also said late Saturday that it will postpone flights to Russia and avoid Russian airspace for at least the next seven days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and started a large-scale invasion of the nation. Missile attacks were carried out on a number of Ukrainian cities, and military sites of Ukraine's Armed Forces were targeted.