The minister for veterans has written to military charities seeking their help in making sure former UK service personnel do not travel to Ukraine to fight against Russia, in the latest government warning against this happening.
It comes after Boris Johnson said that anyone still serving UK military who went to Ukraine would face a court martial upon their return, and added that civilians should avoid travelling to the country.
The minister, Leo Docherty, said that while the invasion was likely to provoke strong feelings, veterans should focus on activities such as helping charities.
The comments are yet another official pushback against those by Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who said at the end of last month that she would back Britons going to Ukraine to help fight the Russians.
Truss was criticised by a number of MPs and rapidly contradicted by other ministers. Her comment that she would “absolutely” support the idea of people wanting to volunteer to help the Ukrainians fight also ran counter to her department’s official advice on travel to Ukraine.
Docherty said he was aware that coverage of the Russian invasion “has rightly brought out strong feelings of support for the Ukrainian people.
“Veterans always step up in times of need, but they must channel their skills, experience and passion into legal routes of support for Ukraine and not engage in the conflict,” he said. “There are many ways that we all can support the people of Ukraine, including through donating money to charity.”
The letter to military charities says they can ask for help from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and the Ministry of Defence if they learn about veterans seeking to travel to Ukraine.
On Thursday, Johnson was asked about reports that a 19-year-old from Warrington with no military experience had travelled to Ukraine.
“I think that everybody seeing what’s happening in Ukraine will understand those feelings,” the prime minister said. “I think many people, many people in our armed forces, will sympathise because I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a clear distinction in international affairs between right and wrong and good and evil in what President Putin is doing to people in Ukraine.
“But we have very clear laws in this country. You shouldn’t go to Ukraine, and I’m afraid people going from our armed services, as the chief of the defence staff made clear the other day, will face court martial.”
