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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday 12/18 that the world heard his call for peace, despite the decision of the International Federation of Football (FIFA) to refuse to allow him to broadcast a video message before the final of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Zelensky had requested the broadcast of a video recording of his call for a global peace conference to help end the war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said Ukrainian soccer players and other officials had posted the message.
“Although FIFA prevented broadcasting this message in the stadium before the final match in Qatar, the world heard our call,” Zelensky said in his videotaped nightly address to the Ukrainians.
He described the World Cup as the foundation of the pursuit of victory.
“But the competition is on the field, not on the battlefield. The worst that can happen is a red card, not a red button,” he said, referring to the possibility of a nuclear strike.
CNN reported on Friday that Zelenskiy had asked FIFA to allow him to broadcast a message of peace before the final. “We presented a formula for peace to the world. It is completely fair. We presented it because there are no heroes in war, there can be no equality,” he said in a video released by his office.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February in what it called a “special military operation”. The conflict has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions from their homes. FIFA rejects any political messages during the organization of the World Cup matches.