Artem Dzyuba, the captain of the Russian national football team, commented on his country's war on Ukraine, and responded to Ukrainian Andrey Yarmolenko, a player for West Ham, who demanded that he talk about the war and the killing of women and children.
The Russian leader responded in a long comment on his Instagram account, in which he said, "Until recently, I did not want to talk about events in Ukraine. Not because I am afraid, but because I am not an expert in politics, but like everyone else, I have my own opinion." And since I've become involved, I'm going to talk about it."
"War is terrifying. But I am shocked by human aggression and hatred that is gaining transcendent proportions every day. I am against discrimination on the basis of nationality, and I am not ashamed of being Russian. I am proud to be Russian. I do not understand why athletes must suffer now," Dzyuba added.
"I am against war, against double standards. Why does everyone always shout to keep sport out of politics, but at the first opportunity, when it comes to Russia, this principle is completely forgotten?"
It seems that Dzyuba's comment came in response to the Ukrainian player Andriy Yarmolenko, the star of the English West Ham team, who broadcast a video clip on social media, in which he urged the Russian players to comment on the war and the killing of his people, women and children.
In response, he said in what he described as an "observation": "To the fellows who sit in palaces in England, and say bad things (about Russia), this cannot offend us, we understand everything! Peace and goodness to all!"
"In stressful situations, the essence of people appears, those who joined the ranks and write insults and threats, the war will end, but human relations will remain," Dziuba added.