Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held an online meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ukrainian Association of Football to coordinate efforts to prevent Russia’s national team from participating in next year’s FIFA World Cup.
“Russia shows no political will toward a ceasefire and ending the war so far. That’s why it would be a grave mistake to speak of meeting Russia halfway or allowing them to take part in football championships,” Andriy Yermak stated.
He reminded that the International Olympic Committee has already barred Russia from team sports competitions due to the war, and emphasized that FIFA must show solidarity with the global sports community and not allow representatives of the aggressor state into major sporting events.
“Football must not become a platform for aggressor propaganda. The aggressor’s sports organizations are instruments of the regime. Russian sports are entirely controlled by the state and are used as tools of influence,” Andriy Yermak noted.