FIFA condemns Russia for attacking Ukraine

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - FIFA on Thursday condemned Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, calling "all parties to restore peace" via talks.

"FIFA condemns the use of force by Russia in Ukraine and any type of violence to resolve conflicts. Violence is never a solution and FIFA calls on all parties to restore peace through constructive dialogue," the world football's governing body said in a statement.

"FIFA also continues to express its solidarity to the people affected by this conflict.

Regarding football matters in both Ukraine and Russia, FIFA will continue to monitor the situation and updates in relation to the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers will be communicated in due course," it added.

Earlier Thursday, European football’s governing body UEFA also condemned the Russian attack and expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

- Donbas crisis and Russia's military intervention

Ukraine's February 2014 "Maidan revolution" caused President Viktor Yanukovych to flee the country and a pro-Western government to come to power.

Russia then illegally annexed Crimea, and separatists in eastern Ukraine declared their so-called administrations of Donetsk and Luhansk, both home to large ethnic Russian populations.

Deadly clashes broke out between Russian-backed separatist forces and the Ukrainian army. The 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements, signed in Moscow with the intervention of Western powers, sought to stop the conflict but cease-fire violations continued, resulting in 14,000 deaths as of February.

Late last year, Russia made headlines by deploying tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine, with the US accusing it of gearing up for an invasion -- claims Moscow denied.

Amid threats of Western sanctions, Moscow recognized the 2 separatist administrations in Donbas as 'independent' on Monday, Feb. 21 and the military intervention started Feb. 24 into Ukrainian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the operation aims to protect people "subjected to genocide" by Kyiv and to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine. He called on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.