Oleksandr Zinchenkocaptain of the Ukrainian national team and Manchester City footballer, spoke about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and said that his country “belongs to the Ukrainians” and that no one “will be able to appropriate it”.
Zinchenko, who captained Ukraine during Euro 2020, has made 48 appearances for the team since his debut in 2015.
“My country belongs to the Ukrainians and no one can ever take it over,” Zinchenko said on social media. “We’re not going to hand him over. I can’t sit on the sidelines and not talk about this. The whole civilized world is worried about the situation in my country. The country in which I was born and raised, and whose colors I defend internationally. A country that we try to glorify and develop. A country whose borders must remain intact.”
Zinchenko spoke out after Vladimir Putin climbed recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donestsk and Luganskon Ukrainian territory, and send troops.
The Ukrainian footballer, now at Manchester City, began his professional career with UFA, a Russian team, before making the leap to Dutch football and in 2017 to Manchester City.