Albanians refuse to play against Russians in the UEFA Nations League

MOSCOW, February 28 Albanian Foreign Minister Olta Jachka announced the refusal of the national team to play with the Russians until the end of the conflict in Ukraine. The Albanians are rivals of the Russians in the group of the UEFA Nations League, the matches of which will begin in June. The League of Nations with the teams of Russia and Albania included the teams of Israel and Iceland. In March, play-offs for tickets to the World Cup in Qatar will be held, all rivals have announced their refusal to play against the Russian team. On Sunday, the International Football Federation announced sanctions against the Russian team, which include a ban on holding home matches in Russia, as well as on the use of the national flag and anthem. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Luhansk national republics. On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry emphasized that the Russian Armed Forces do not strike at the cities of Ukraine: military infrastructure is disabled by high-precision means. The civilian population, according to the department, is not in danger.