Manchester United end deal with Aeroflot after Russia's military intervention in Ukraine

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Manchester United on Friday terminated their sponsorship deal with Russian airline Aeroflot on Friday in the wake of Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.

In a statement, the English Premier League club said: "In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights.

"We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected.”

Aeroflot became Manchester United sponsor in 2013, replacing the Turkish Airlines.

On Thursday, the UK Civil Aviation Authority said it suspended Aeroflot's foreign carrier permit until a further notice.

"This means that Aeroflot will not be permitted to operate flights to or from the United Kingdom until further notice," it added.

Tensions started escalating late last year when Ukraine, the US and its allies accused Russia of amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine.

They claimed Russia was preparing to invade its western neighbor, allegations consistently rejected by Moscow.

Defying threats of sanctions by the West, Moscow earlier this week officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, followed by the start of a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the operation aims to protect people “subjected to genocide” by Kyiv and to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, while calling on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to install a puppet government and said Ukrainians will defend their country against Russian aggression.