"While we are talking, they are killing": Shevchenko explains why Russia should not be at the Olympics

World football legend Andriy Shevchenko has called his position on the impossibility of Russian athletes participating in international competitions a matter of principle. The Ballon d'Or winner stressed that while the world is debating the issue of allowing Russian representatives to participate in tournaments, their country continues to kill Ukrainian civilians and soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Shevchenko said this in an interview with the authoritative French publication L'Équipe. He is a former striker for Dynamo Kyiv. AC Milan and Chelsea in London, said he was proud of his compatriots and reminded that Russia is trying to destroy everything Ukrainian.

"The situation has not changed. The war continues and people are dying day after day, children are dying. I am proud of my country and my people. I am also proud of the army and the way it fights and defends itself. How the country is fighting for democracy. No Russian or Belarusian athlete should take part in any sporting events, Olympic or otherwise, until the war is over. Why? Because it is a principle. While we are talking, they are killing my compatriots, killing children. We are fighting for our survival, to preserve the name of Ukraine, our identity, our language," Shevchenko said.

Earlier, in support of these words of the legendary footballer, former Russian national team player Andrei Solomatin said that Ukrainian children "need to be remade". In addition, he added that Ukraine needs to be defeated after he heard about the question "why did you come here?" from Donbas residents to the occupiers.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the legendary footballer of Dynamo Kyiv, Oleh Kuznetsov, stopped communicating with his former Russian teammates in the USSR and CIS national teams.

Only verified information is available in our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!