Margareta Perun

Ukraine FM: 'Another barbaric and utterly cynical Russian attack. Russia's brutality knows no limits, and its contempt for human life is beyond any moral justification. In Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces struck a school used to distribute humanitarian aid and then attacked a shelter where civilians were hiding from Russian bombs. At least 26 people have been killed. Rescue operations are ongoing. And yet, even as Russia continues to slaughter innocent Ukrainians, some are looking for ways to return to business as usual with Moscow, as if these atrocities were somehow irrelevant to their decisions. This includes those in international sport who are discussing welcoming Russian teams back into competition. What kind of moral bankruptcy does it take to rehabilitate a country that bombs people seeking humanitarian aid? Every Ukrainian civilian murdered by Russia is another reason to keep its flag and its athletes out of international sporting arenas. Those who open the doors to Russia must understand that they are opening them to a state that continues to kill. Russia deserves condemnation, isolation, and consequences, not a return to international respectability. Its crimes cannot be separated from its flag, its national teams, or its attempts to regain international legitimacy. I call on our partners to respond with decisive action and reject every attempt to return to business as usual with Russia. No concessions to a state that continues to murder innocent people and no rehabilitation without accountability.'