Pele appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine. With the Ukrainian team back on the pitch, fighting for a place in the World Cup, the former player took the opportunity to publish a letter to the politician, published on his social networks.
“Vladimir Putin, today Ukraine tries to forget, at least for 90 minutes, the tragedy that still happens in his country. Competing for a place in the World Cup is already a difficult task. And it becomes almost impossible with so many lives at stake”, wrote the Brazilian ace, who claimed to have “personally” written the text.
“I want to use today’s match as an opportunity to make a request: stop this invasion. There are no arguments to justify violence. This conflict, like all others, is perverse, unjustifiable and brings nothing but pain, fear, terror and anguish. There is no reason for it to last any longer,” he added.
The 81-year-old former athlete recalled meeting Putin five years ago, before the 2018 World Cup. stating that the military action was aimed at supporting separatist enclaves in the east of the country.
Attacks were recorded, however, in various parts of Ukrainian territory — particularly in its largest cities, Kiev and Kharkiv. Faced with this situation, FIFA postponed Ukraine’s match against Scotland, initially scheduled for March. It was rescheduled for this Wednesday (1st), in Glasgow, Scotland.
“When we met in the past and exchanged a big smile accompanied by a long handshake, it was unimaginable that we could one day be as divided as we are today,” wrote Pele. “The power to end this conflict is in your hands. The same ones I pressed in Moscow at our last meeting in 2017.”
The ace, finally, said he made a commitment to do what he could in the name of peace, as long as his body allows. At 81, he suffers from health problems and is undergoing treatment for a colon tumor, with periodic visits to the Albert Einstein Hospital, in São Paulo, for chemotherapy sessions and exams.
“I have lived eight decades in which I have witnessed wars and seen leaders shouting hatred in the name of the safety of their own people. We cannot go back to those times. We must evolve. Years ago, I promised myself that as long as I can, I will always raise my voice for peace,” he declared.
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