Klitschko calls on world leaders to 'act now' amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine

By Sports Desk February 26, 2022

Wladimir Klitschko has called on "the entire world" to help stop the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of the country.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday after weeks of rising political tension. That conflict escalated on Friday and into Saturday, with fighting now reported to have reached the capital, Kyiv.

Wladimir, a two-time heavyweight world champion, and his older brother Vitali, who is the mayor of Kyiv, have both pledged to take up arms to help defend the city and their country.

In a video posted to his official Twitter account on Saturday, Wladimir Klitschko spoke powerfully of the need for more action from other nations.

Heavy sanctions have been placed on Russia by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, though there is no sign of a ceasefire. 

Russian officials have offered to hold peace talks with their Ukrainian counterparts, though only on the condition that Ukraine's army surrenders.

"I'm addressing the entire world, to stop this war that Russia has started," Wladimir Klitschko said in the video. 

"Just today, civilians were shot by the rockets with special operations surveillance getting killed(*), and it's happening in the heart of Europe.

"There's no time to wait, because it's going to bleed into a humanitarian catastrophe.

"You need to act now to stop Russian aggression, with anything you can have now. In an hour, or by tomorrow, it's going to be too late. Please, get into action now. Don't wait, act now, stop this war."

Multiple sportspeople and organisations have called for the end of the conflict, with Russia having been stripped of the Champions League final – initially due to be held in St Petersburg – and the Formula One Russian Grand Prix.

 

(*) Wladimir Klitschko's claim could not been verified at the time of publication.

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