Ukraine invasion: Russia’s football clubs and international sides suspended by FIFA and UEFA

 Russia will be unable to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in November.

Russia’s football clubs and international sides have been suspended until further notice by FIFA and UEFA.

The decision by the world and European governing bodies means the Russian national team will be unable to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in November.

The suspension covers all of Russia’s national teams – the women’s side are due to play in UEFA’s Euro 2022 competition in England in July.

In a statement, FIFA and UEFA said: “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine.

“Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

Russia had been due to play its World Cup play-off fixture against Poland on 24 March.

The Polish FA had already said it would refuse to allow its national team to play against Russia following the invasion into Ukraine.

‘Totally unacceptable’ stance

FIFA was criticised on Sunday after a statement that Russia could continue to play matches in neutral venues and only under the name ‘Football Union of Russia’.

Although FIFA had warned the country could be excluded from competitions if the situation in Ukraine did not improve, the statement was widely criticised with the Polish FA saying the stance was “totally unacceptable”.

England’s FA said the national side would not play Russia ”for the foreseeable future” – a view that was backed up by a number of European federations.

Protesters chant ‘go home’ to Russian soldiers

Russia hosted the last World Cup in 2018 with the final held in Moscow – a match attended by President Vladimir Putin.

It comes as sporting bodies moved to bar Russian athletes from competing in international events.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials.

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UK citizens are advised not to travel to Russia

 

UK citizens have been advised against travelling to Russia due to a lack of flights available and economic problems in the country.

The Foreign Office warned Britons in Russia might not be able to fly directly to the UK or via EU countries.

It said the value of the rouble had fallen and there were reports of lots of people “attempting to withdraw their savings from Russian banks”.

The advice comes after Russia banned airlines from 36 countries.

In a tit-for-tat retaliation to sanctions, the country said it would stop flights from nations including Germany, Spain, Italy and Canada from using its airspace.

 the Foreign Office urged people in Russia to “amend any travel plans accordingly”.

It means UK or EU citizens wanting to leave Russia by air would have to travel to a country which has issued any flight or travel sanctions to Russia to then get a flight directly home.

Russia had already barred UK airlines from flying to and across the region after Britain banned Russian airlines, including national airline Aeroflot and private jets, from landing in the UK.

The Foreign Office also warned the sharp fall in the Rouble’s value meant any Russian currency people held “may reduce in value over the coming days” and that foreign nationals in Russia were reported to be having difficulty using ATM and banking services.

It also said since Putin’s invasion there had been several reports of anti-war protests with a “heavy police presence”.

“There are reports of increased police presence and ID checks. You should keep your passport with you at all times,” the Foreign Office said.

Europe shuts skies

On Sunday, Europe shut its skies to Russian owned or controlled planes in one of a number of sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

The announcement means all planes, including the private jets of oligarchs, will now be unable to land in, take off from or fly over any EU nation.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also announced he had told all UK ports to not let any Russian “flagged, registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated vessels” to have access.

“I’ve made clear these vessels are not welcome here,” he said.

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The UK Chamber of Shipping said the banning of ships with Russian interests from UK ports would “put further pressure on the Russian President’s military objectives”, but added it would be “complex” and would “require new legislation”.

On Monday, the Russian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, said: “A restriction has been imposed on flights for airlines of 36 countries in accordance with international law as a retaliatory measure for the ban imposed by the European states on the flights of commercial airliners operated by Russian airlines and/or registered in Russia.”

The measures mean airlines will have to make long detours on some routes, potentially raising the cost of fuel and tickets.

The countries banned from Russia’s airspace are: Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.

Swiss International Airlines, which is owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, said that it had cancelled flights from Zurich to Moscow despite Switzerland not appearing on Russia’s list of banned countries.

A spokesperson for the Swiss airline also said it was not flying through Russian airspace.

Swiss is now avoiding Russian airspace

It said: “We continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and are in close exchange with the Swiss and international authorities as well as with the Lufthansa Group for our operational decisions.”

Meanwhile, cruise firm Carnival, which owns P&O Cruises as well as Cunard, said it was changing journeys on Baltic cruises.

The company said it would advise guests of the changes “as soon as possible”.

On Monday, Switzerland – traditionally a neutral country and whose banks are believed to hold billions of dollars in Russian funds- said that it would adopt EU financial sanctions against Moscow.

The Swiss justice minister, Karin Keller-Sutter, also said it had banned five oligarchs with links to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin from entering the country, though declined to name them.

The BBC’s correspondent in Geneva, Imogen Foulkes, said: “Make no mistake, this is a huge step for Switzerland, which has often agonised over what being neutral actually means.

“Today, Swiss president Ignazio Cassis made it clear: the attack on Ukraine was an unacceptable attack on freedom and democracy,” she said.

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Russia hits back at Europe over flight ban

 Russia has banned airlines from 36 countries from using its airspace in a tit-for-tat response to Western sanctions.

The country said it would stop flights from nations including Germany, Spain, Italy and Canada.

Russia had already barred UK airlines from flying to and across the region after Britain banned national airline Aeroflot from landing in the UK.

On Sunday, Europe shut its skies to Russian owned or controlled planes.

The announcement means all planes, including the private jets of oligarchs, will now be unable to land in, take off from or fly over any EU nation.

It is one of a number of sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

In the UK, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also announced he had told all UK ports to not let any Russian “flagged, registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated vessels” to have access.

“I’ve made clear these vessels are not welcome here,” he said.

On Monday, the Russian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsia, said: “A restriction has been imposed on flights for airlines of 36 countries in accordance with international law as a retaliatory measure for the ban imposed by the European states on the flights of commercial airliners operated by Russian airlines and/or registered in Russia.”

The measures mean airlines will have to make long detours on some routes, potentially raising the cost of fuel and tickets.

The countries banned from Russia’s airspace are: Albania, Anguilla, Austria, Belgium, British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (including Greenland, the Faroe Islands), Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK.

Swiss International Airlines, which is owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, said that it had cancelled flights from Zurich to Moscow despite Switzerland not appearing on Russia’s list of banned countries.

A spokesperson for the Swiss airline also said it was not flying through Russian airspace.

Swiss is now avoiding Russian airspace

It said: “We continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and are in close exchange with the Swiss and international authorities as well as with the Lufthansa Group for our operational decisions.”

Meanwhile, cruise firm Carnival, which owns P&O Cruises as well as Cunard, said it was changing journeys on Baltic cruises.

The company said it would advise guests of the changes “as soon as possible”.

On Monday, Switzerland – traditionally a neutral country and whose banks are believed to hold billions of dollars in Russian funds- said that it would adopt EU financial sanctions against Moscow.

The Swiss justice minister, Karin Keller-Sutter, also said it had banned five oligarchs with links to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin from entering the country, though declined to name them.

The BBC’s correspondent in Geneva, Imogen Foulkes, said: “Make no mistake, this is a huge step for Switzerland, which has often agonized over what being neutral actually means.

“Today, Swiss president Ignazio Cassis made it clear: the attack on Ukraine was an unacceptable attack on freedom and democracy,” she said.

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Fifa and Uefa suspend Russian teams as Ukrainian tennis players call for action

 Two of football’s top international bodies, Fifa and Uefa, both announced the suspension of Russian soccer teams in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Fifa and Uefa have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both Fifa and Uefa competitions until further notice,” according to a joint statement on Monday.

This immediate action means that Russia will not be participating in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, nor will it be playing against Poland in a World Cup semi-final qualifier playoff in March. Its women’s team won’t be participating in the 2022 European Championship hosted in England.

Russian club teams will no longer compete in the Europa League, either.

“Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people,” said the statement.

Fifa had initially been criticized after it said it would let Russia continue to compete in the men’s World Cup playoffs.

Uefa has gone one step further and announced it cancelled its sponsorship deal with Russian gas giant, Gazprom. Gazprom had been the sponsor of the Champions League and Russia was supposed to host the finals in St Petersburg.

But Uefa moved the finals to Paris last week.
“Uefa has today decided to end its partnership with Gazprom across all competitions,” according to the statement.

“The decision is effective immediately and covers all existing agreements including the Uefa Champions League, Uefa national team competitions and Uefa Euro 2024,” it added.

The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also issued a recommendation on Monday, calling for the exclusion of Russian and Belarussian athletes, officials, and teams from international competitions.

In addition to the football teams being banned, a statement by Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina called for a clear decision to be made by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Svitolina said she wanted these three tennis associations to follow the IOC guidelines and only allow Russian and Belarussian athletes to be neutral athletes and not display any colors, flags or symbols of their countries.

“I do not blame any of the Russian athletes. They are not responsible for the invasion of our motherland,” said Svitolina in the statement.

“Moreover, I wish to play tribute to all the players, especially Russians and Belarussians, who bravely stated their position against the war. Their support is essential,” she added.

SA ambassador flees Kyiv and condemns discrimination

 South Africa’s ambassador to the Ukraine has told the BBC he has had no choice but to leave the capital, Kyiv, as an armoured Russian convoy is heading to the city.

Andre Groenewald said explosions could be heard in the distance as he packed the car to leave on Wednesday morning.

He is now travelling south in a convoy of two vehicles with his wife, three children and the last remaining embassy staff towards Romania, Moldova or Hungary.

He said he and other colleagues and ambassadors had been working hard to secure the exit of South Africans and other foreigners from Ukraine – some of whom have faced racism at they have tried to flee.

“We’ve heard all of these accusations, we’ve seen the videos and we are concerned… We’ve protested ourselves on [an] official level to the government and asked them to please help the students that are still coming through,” he added.

South Africa’s ambassadors in both in Poland and Hungary had also gone to the borders to help people get through, he said.

Part of the problem was that “initially, only Ukrainian women and children” were being allowed through – and as officials from Ukraine were sticking strictly to these instructions, this had impacted on all the foreigners.

“It’s just been a very terrible situation.”

He denounced the discrimination, adding that bombs don’t discriminate.

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Sudan backs talks to end Russia-Ukraine war

 Sudan has expressed support for talks to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the state-run Sudan News Agency (Suna) has reported.

The Paris-based Sudan Tribune website reported on Monday that Sudan was under pressure from Western countries to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But in its first official statement on the war, Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council merely said that it backs dialogue and a diplomatic solution.

The deputy head of the Sovereign Council, Gen Mohamed Hamdan “Hemeti” Dagolo, is on a visit to Moscow to strengthen ties between the two countries.

The foreign ministry had denied reports that he had supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sudan’s military leaders have maintained strong relations with Russia since the overthrow of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.

Bashir was also an ally of Moscow,

Russia has interests in gold mines in Sudan.

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