UEFA will hold an emergency meeting on Friday with this season’s Champions League final in Saint Petersburg set to be at the top of the agenda as European football’s governing body said it “strongly condemns” Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
“UEFA shares the international community’s significant concern for the security situation developing in Europe and strongly condemns the ongoing Russian military invasion in Ukraine,” …
IOC slams Russia
The International Olympic Committee harshly criticised Russia for violating an “Olympic Truce” with its attack on Ukraine, and said it was coordinating humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian athletes where possible.
Hours after Moscow began invading its pro-Western neighbour, the IOC said in a statement that it “strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government.”
It pointed out that all 193 UN member states had agreed last December to a global truce beginning seven days before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing on February 4 and ending after the closing of the Paralympic Games on March 13.
” IOC President Thomas Bach reiterates his call for peace, which he expressed in his speeches at the opening Ceremony and the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games,” it said.
The IOC also said that “following recent events,” it was “deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic Community in Ukraine.”
The organisation, it said, had “established a task force to closely monitor the situation and to coordinate humanitarian assistance to members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible.”
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‘No to war’, says Russian international footballer Smolov
Fedor Smolov became the first Russian international footballer to express his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia posting on Instagram: “No to war.”
The 32-year-old Dynamo Moscow striker’s post is against a dark backdrop and followed by a Ukrainian flag and a broken heart icon.
The 45-times capped Smolov — who has been called up to the last three national squads — expressed his opposition hours after the launching of the Russian invasion was announced by President Vladimir Putin.
On Wednesday Benfica’s Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk celebrated a Champions League goal celebrated a Champions League goal by revealing a shirt bearing his country’s coat of arms.
The 26-year-old scored the goal that gave his Portuguese club a 2-2 draw against Ajax and then displayed a black shirt with the Tryzub symbol.
“I wanted to support my country. I thought a lot about it and I’m afraid of the situation,” he told CNN Portugal.
“The club supports me, they spoke to me and wanted to do everything to help me. I thanked them, although for the moment everything is fine.”
Agencies
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