The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America issued the following release on April 10.
The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), the largest grassroots representation of Americans of Ukrainian descent, calls on high-ranking U.S. government officials, sports fans and leaders of industry, to follow the lead of the United Kingdom, Poland and Iceland, and boycott the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Furthermore, FIFA sponsors of the 2018 World Cup, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Hyundai–Kia, VISA, Anheuser-Busch, and McDonald’s, as well as U.S. broadcasters Fox Sports and Telemundo, should be informed of the inexcusable and illegal actions undertaken by Russia in the run-up to hosting soccer’s biggest tournament.
“The United States needs to send a clear and loud message to Russia that there are consequences for not respecting international law and order,” stated UCCA President Andriy Futey. “We cannot tolerate this type of behavior and need to condemn the Russian Federation by boycotting the 2018 FIFA World Cup!”
UCCA maintains that it is morally reprehensible that an international sporting event designed to promote international goodwill and harmony will be held in a country that continues to blatantly disregard the rule of law:
• Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the further invasion of eastern Ukraine represent a daily violation of all conceivable international law and standards (with over 10,000 killed and over 2 million displaced).
• On July 17, 2014, Russian forces shot down the civilian airliner Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, resulting in the deaths of 298 innocent victims, including one confirmed American citizen.
• On March 4, 2018, in Salisbury, England, former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed along with an additional 48 people to a Russian nerve agent.
For these reasons and more, including the 100+ political prisoners held in Russian prisons, Russia stands against the values that unite the Euro-Atlantic community. It is up to the rest of the world to unite in defense of the international order and bring the responsible parties to justice, not celebrate them with a soccer tournament.