Brazilian football player Pelé has sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin urging him to “stop the invasion” of Ukraine.
He posted a letter to Putin on Instagram (the owner of the social network, the company Meta, is recognized as extremist in Russia and banned, the social network is blocked).
Pele published his post before the match between Ukraine and Scotland, which compete in the semi-finals of the playoffs of the 2022 World Cup.
“In a few minutes, Ukraine will play its first official match since the beginning of the conflict. I wrote this letter personally and I hope that the violence will stop and we can build a better world together,” Pele said in a statement. There is no justification for violence, he says.
“This conflict, like all others, is immoral, unjustified and brings nothing but pain, fear, horror and torment. There is no reason for it to continue. When we met and exchanged a big smile followed by a long handshake, it was impossible to imagine that one day we could be as divided as we are today,” wrote Pele.
“The power to stop this conflict is in your hands. The very ones that I shook in Moscow, at our last meeting in 2017, ”the football player believes.
Pele met the Russian President in December 2017, along with other world-famous footballers who took part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup draw. According to the results of the draw, the composition of each group and the calendar of games of the world championship, which was held in Russia, were determined.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that its goals are to protect the inhabitants of Donbass from “genocide by the Kyiv regime”, as well as the “denazification” and “demilitarization” of Ukraine.
The President of Russia also stressed that Moscow’s plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. At the same time, according to him, all peoples have the right to self-determination, while the inhabitants of Donbass “have never been asked how they want to arrange their lives.” According to him, it is important that the right to choose “could be used by all the peoples living on the territory of today’s Ukraine”, “everyone who wants it.”
Kyiv, in response, severed diplomatic relations with Russia, declared mobilization and introduced martial law.