Russia’s war of aggression has also prompted countless expressions of solidarity with Ukraine in the sports world. One athlete who defends Vladimir Putin and in the same breath mocks the victims of the war is chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin. He now faces serious consequences.
The chess grandmaster Sergey Karjakin has caused a scandal with scandalous statements about the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Karjakin, 2016 World Cup challenger to superstar Magnus Carlsen, described the Ukrainians as the trigger of the war in several Twitter posts and also mocked the numerous victims.
Karjakin, who has long been friends with Vladimir Putin, first made his position on the war in Ukraine clear in a Twitter post on February 24. There he shared a Telegram post in which Ukraine was solely to blame for the war and Russia was merely described as a liberator.
“If you believe facts are propaganda, that’s up to you”
In a since-deleted tweet, he then recounted a conversation he had with a taxi driver in Dubai, who allegedly told him, “Russia is good. In a few years we’ll be close friends. We’re not stupid like Ukraine.”
Finally, on Friday, Karjakin posted images that appear to show militant Ukrainian soldiers posing with a photo of Adolf Hitler. He wrote: “Are you sure you want to support the Ukrainian army?”
The Russian then followed up and showed himself to be in line with Vladimir Putin. He also mocked the countless victims that the war had already produced: “If you believe that facts are propaganda, then that’s your business. I wish you all the best. I’m going to the beach now.” He then added a wink smiley to his post.
A statement by Magnus Carlsen, who told the TV channel “TV2” that he was happy to live in a country where there is peace, Karjakin commented with the words: “How happy I am to live in Russia!”
On Sunday, the 32-year-old posted anti-American posts, and other tweets by the Russian were blocked in Germany because of legally objectionable content.
Consequences by the World Chess Federation?
Norwegian chess pro and Russia expert Atle Grønn firmly believes that Karjakin’s statements will have serious consequences. “That doesn’t come as a surprise. He’s been an important person for Putin’s regime for a long time,” he told the online newspaper Nettavisen.
Karjakin ruined his career with his statements, Grønn explained: “He crossed many borders and will probably never be invited to the big tournaments abroad again.”
Chess superstar Hikaru Nakamura commented on Karjakin’s comments: “People are dying and he’s joking about the situation. Innocent people are dying and he’s joking. It’s pathetic, there’s no other word for it.” Like Grønn, the American does not expect to see the Russian again in future tournaments.
The World Chess Federation FIDE has announced that it will bring the Karjakin case before its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.