PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of American have both called on the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to revoke its award of the 2018 World Cup tournament to the Russian Federation.
The UCC launched a petition to have Russia’s hosting privileges revoked, citing its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has cost thousands of lives and displaced more than 1 million people. The UCC added that the Russian Federation has invaded and illegally occupies the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine, where it is carrying out a campaign of intimidation and suppression of dissent, targeted especially against the indigenous Crimean Tatar people.
“As an aggressor state, and a state that coordinates, sponsors and supplies the terrorist organizations of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk ‘Peoples Republics,’ the Russian Federation must not be allowed to hold an international event that symbolizes peace and the unity of peoples, the UCC noted.
UCC National President Paul Grod added: “As many world leaders have stated, there can be no ‘business as usual’ with the Russian Federation until the Putin regime ceases its invasion of Ukraine, withdraws from Crimea and desists in meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs. FIFA should immediately revoke from Russia the privilege of hosting the 2018 World Cup, as a state that continues to violate the basic principles of international law. To allow the Russian Federation to host such a prestigious event would be tantamount to endorsing the Putin regime’s attack on Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the representative organization of over 1 million Americans of Ukrainian descent, also strongly urged FIFA to add its voice to that of the international community and condemn Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine by reversing its decision to allow Russia to host 2018 World Cup.
“President Putin’s blatant breach of international law, Russia’s illegal invasion and occupation of Crimea and its ongoing support of pro-Russian terrorist activities and terrorist forces in eastern Ukraine clearly violate the principles on which FIFA is based and undermine the spirit of international sporting competitions,” UCCA President Tamara Olexy stated.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress also noted that it applauds the position of U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), who wrote to the FIFA congress that was taking place on May 29: “More than 40 countries, all FIFA members, have imposed sanctions on Russia in an effort to influence events on the ground in Ukraine. By allowing Russia to host the tournament, FIFA would offer an economic lifeline to the Putin regime in contravention of the multilateral sanctions that have been imposed by the international community.”
The UCC said it joins the international community in its concern over serious allegations of criminal mismanagement in the allocation of the 2018 World Cup to Russia. The UCC pointed out that the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland stated that it had seized documents at FIFA and “opened criminal proceedings against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups.”
Sources: UCC and UCCA.