A Facebook post lacks context due to the fact that it does not clarify that the Embassy of Ukraine in Skopje’s announcement of the recruitment effort is not new and active, but outdated, and that it was followed by a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which the citizens of North Macedonia are informed that participation in a foreign army is a criminal offence. Also, there are no soldiers from North Macedonia in Ukraine, so even the pejorative parallel “until the last Northlander” (Severdzistansa) cannot be made. In addition, it is part of the wider Kremlin narrative to justify the unprovoked military invasion that Russia launched in Ukraine
We analyze a Facebook post that says:
STRATEGIC. It hurts, it burns; but if we want to continue the integrations…#WeAreNato #EuroAtlantic #UntilTheLastNorthlander (Severdzistansa)
The Ukrainian Embassy in Skopje invites the citizens of North Macedonia to join the Ukrainian army.
When this title is looked up on Google, the original article appears, published on the 8th of March,2022, that is, more than 2 years ago, immediately after the start of Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine (on the 24th of February,2022).
One day after the announcement of the recruitment effort by the Ukrainian Embassy in Skopje (on the 9th of March,2022), the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published its statement to the public, in which the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia are informed or reminded that participation in any foreign army is a criminal offence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in its statement that by being a friendly country of Ukraine, there is an understanding of the complex situation in which Ukraine is and which puts the Ukrainian authorities in a unique position to call for all kinds of help, from all friendly countries, including escort and volunteers who would join the Ukrainian army in defense against the Russian military threat. However, as mentioned in the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the participation of citizens from N. Macedonia in any foreign army according to legal regulations, or rather, according to the Criminal Code, is a criminal offence.
At the same time, we would like to remind that the Republic of North Macedonia fully condemns Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, and the country demonstrates this in the UN, NATO, OSCE and all other bilateral and multilateral forums, according to the statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 9th of March,2022.
According to the above, the Macedonian authorities have positioned themselves appropriately in the given situation, warning their citizens that if they were to leave to participate in a foreign army, even that of a friendly country, it would be a crime according to the Macedonian Criminal Code.
In the post that we are reviewing, that fact is not mentioned, i.e. the fact that the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned our citizens not to participate in a foreign formation, as well as the fact that the Ukrainian Embassy in Skopje never repeated the announcement for recruitment effort, that is, backed down from the request for Macedonian volunteers. Nor do Macedonian soldiers participate on the Ukrainian front.
On the 18th of May, Truthmeter contacted the Ministry of Defense, which told us that N. Macedonia does not have its own soldiers in Ukraine.
The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia currently has a total of 185 members deployed in NATO, EU and UN missions, operations and activities. The largest number of members and formations participate in the NATO KFOR (Kosovo Force) operation in the Republic of Kosovo, where in addition to two military formations with the strength of an infantry platoon, we also have staff personnel, and moreover, in the activities of the NATO operation “enhanced Vigilance Activities” (eVA) in Romania and Bulgaria with formations with the strength of one platoon each, as well as in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) in Latvia with one division. In addition, we participate with a platoon in the EU Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the UN mission United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) in Lebanon with staff personnel, responded the Ministry of Defense for “Truthmeter.”
Due to all the above facts, we assess that the fact-checked post is missing context. Nowhere in the post does it say that the announcement of the recruitment effort by the Ukrainian embassy is not new and active, but outdated, nor that it is followed by a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it also does not state that there are no soldiers from North Macedonia in Ukraine, and because of that, not even the pejorative parallel “until the last Northlander” (Severdzistansa) can be made. In addition, it is part of the wider Kremlin narrative to justify the unprovoked military invasion that Russia launched in Ukraine.
