The Czech national football team refused to play with Russia in the play-offs at the World Cup, and Dynamo Riga leaves the KHL

The Czech Football Union has announced its unwillingness to meet with the Russian national team in a qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup (World Cup), Interfax reports.

The corresponding decision was made in protest against Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

The day before, similar decisions were announced in Sweden and Poland.

In addition, today it became known that Dynamo Riga announced its withdrawal from the Russian Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Before that, Finnish Jokerit announced its withdrawal from the KHL.

Recall, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin made an emergency appeal to the Russians and announced a special military operation in the Donbass. In his speech, he stated that “circumstances require decisive action from Russia” and stressed that “Russia will not allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons.”

In response to Russia’s actions, Western countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Great Britain, Japan) announced new, tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation, including financial and economic ones.

Sanctions, in particular, hit Russian banks, including Sberbank, VTB, Novikombank, FC Otkritie and Sovcombank.

Later, the EU countries and the United States agreed to disconnect Russian banks that fell under sanctions from the international system of interbank transactions and information exchange SWIFT. In addition, it was decided to freeze the assets of the Bank of Russia, which will create difficulties for its use of international reserves. EU countries also pledged to take steps to limit the sale of citizenship — the so-called “golden passports” that allow wealthy Russians connected to the Russian government to become citizens of EU states and access their financial systems.

You can follow the chronicle of events around Ukraine on February 27 here.