The Ukrainian Football Association has addressed FIFA, UEFA, and the Serbian Football Federation with an official letter requesting that appropriate measures be taken to prevent gestures of support for Russia by involving its teams in international matches.

"On behalf of the Ukrainian Football Association, we express our highest respect and gratitude for your solidarity with Ukraine during our most difficult times of fighting against Russian terrorist state aggression for our independence and Europe's security."

By this letter, we address you regarding the particular importance of adhering to the decision of the FIFA Council and UEFA Executive Committee on excluding Russian teams, national teams or clubs from participating in FIFA and UEFA competitions, adopted at the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, and then extended by equivalent provisions for the next season in May 2022. Now, as the war has been ongoing for almost two years, it is crucial to uphold this position against aggressors more strongly than ever.

According to open sources, recently General Secretary of the Serbian Football Association Jovan Šurbatović confirmed the holding of a friendly match between Serbia and Russia national teams. The media also cites that the Serbian association received an official permit from UEFA for this game and has already agreed with RFU about organizing a friendly match on March 21, 2024 in Moscow at Dynamo Stadium.

We at the UAF, representing in this case the entire Ukrainian society exhausted by a harsh war and impunity of Russian terrorists, insist that such matches cannot be held under current conditions, and accordingly believe that such matches cannot be supported in any form by football authorities as it contradicts FIFA and UEFA's fair position on isolating aggressors from the world football community.

We would also like to draw attention of colleagues at the Serbian Football Association that the Russian terrorist state continues committing horrific war crimes in Ukraine, inflicting devastating impact also on the environment and economy of neighboring countries, therefore it is absolutely unacceptable to allow Russian teams to return to the family of civilized world football as this effectively means cooperation with a regime of terrorists and encouragement for them to continue their actions.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation and request that appropriate measures be taken to prevent gestures of support for Russia by involving its teams in international matches."