The former Vice President and ex-Member of Parliament of the British Conservative Party, Jack Lopresti, 55, has made headlines in the British media by confirming that he has volunteered for the International Legion in Ukraine and has been providing support to the Ukrainian army in Kiev, Kharkiv, and Poltava in the east of the country since November.
His ex-wife Andrea Jenkyns, also a former Tory MP (who defected to Reform UK after losing her seat in 2024), was surprised by his enlistment. "I wish him a safe return home," wrote his ex-wife, who stated that their son was also unaware of his father's whereabouts.
"I am based in Kiev, but I travel constantly throughout Ukraine," Lopresti told The Independent. "It is a great honor and a tremendous privilege to serve in the Ukrainian army and help these amazing and brave people in any way I can."
"They are fighting not only for their freedom and their right to exist as an independent and sovereign nation," he added. "They are also fighting for us, in Europe and the rest of the world."
Lopresti served in the British army in 2007, as part of the Royal Artillery. He was mobilized as a reservist during the Afghanistan war and was stationed in the 29th Artillery Command in Helmand province. Before entering politics, he spent a decade leading an ice cream company founded by his father (his family is of Sicilian origin). In 2013, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which he overcame within two years.
Despite his combat experience, his role in Ukraine has so far been in the rear, handling diplomatic relations, arms supply, and training in the International Legion, created in February 2022 at the request of President Zelenski and composed of over 20,000 personnel from fifty countries, including the United Kingdom.
The Foreign Office warns that direct participation in the conflict or providing support in the Ukraine war may result in legal actions in British courts upon return to the United Kingdom, although to date, no British citizen who volunteered in Ukraine has faced such a situation.