After the governing body of the world football association FIFA refused to send a video message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev itself posted the recording on Sunday evening. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine strives for peace “more than anything else”: “There are no champions in war,” he said in reference to the World Cup in Qatar.
“I greet all football fans, we send greetings of peace from Ukraine and I congratulate the whole world for this final,” said the Ukrainian president. That evening you will witness a “collective victory, a triumph of humanity,” Zelenskyj said of the World Cup final between Argentina and France.
Zelenskyj wants a global peace summit
The World Cup showed how different countries and nationalities can come together to show who is the best in a fair game. “Our dream is that everyone in the world can experience this game in peace. Every father in the world wants to take his son to a football game, just like every mother wants her son back from the war.”
At the end of the video, Zelenskyy called for a global peace summit. “In the end, only peace can prevail, please support Ukraine in restoring peace. And now let’s enjoy the game together and end the war.”
“Too political” for FIFA
FIFA had previously refused to show the video during the match because the Ukrainian president’s message was “too political”. The host country Qatar, on the other hand, had approved the broadcast, contrary to the usual practice of approving all political statements in the context of the World Cup.
Source: Krone
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