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how climate change and environmental conservation is taking shape around the world and how we can all make a difference. knowledge grows through sharing. download it now, feel free. ah, this is a d w sports special. the sporting world reacts to the russian invasion of ukraine, coming up condemnation of russian president vladimir putin as well. sport takes a stand from the football page to the paralympics and motor racing, benz implemented, and events cancelled as the door slowly shut on russia. i am nick mechanic line. welcome to this special edition of d. w. sports. for the 1st time in recent memory,

we are seeing the likes of fever. you eva, and other giants crumble under global pressure to take a united front, russian teams are banned from competition. sports events are moved or canceled altogether. sponsorships across all sports and divisions are ended. these are just some of the outcome so far as the international sports community moves to further isolate russia. for 15 years german football club shall co, played with the logo of rushes, state owned energy company, gas prom on their shirts. now the partnership worth $9000000.00 euros a year to the club was abruptly cut short and players strode out in altered jerseys for the 1st time on saturday. across the wonders league as 1st and 2nd tears clubs and fans denounced president vladimir putin and his militaries invasion of ukraine . please for peace could be seen around the grounds. and all games were preceded by

a moment of silence. similar sentiments were expressed across the sporting landscape around the world. formula one abandoned, the russian grown pre scheduled for september in saatchi while allowing russian drivers to compete under a neutral flag this season. meanwhile, russian president vladimir putin himself a black belt, chewed oka, has been stripped of his title as honorary president of the international judo federation. the most senior official position he held in the world of sports and european footballs governing body. you a 1st stripped st. petersburg gas prom arina of the hosting rights for this year's champions league. final like shall kill you a for has also decided to cut ties with gas prom. the energy giant was one of the organisations key sponsors since 2012. the partnership were 40000000 years a year, had previously already attracted criticism. russia is being told clearly that at present it is unwelcome in the world of sports.

one of the 1st athletes to openly condemn vladimir putin aggression in ukraine was bloodiest love yet as if it's just weeks ago. you may have seen his face and his call for peace during the winter olympics in beijing. he's the ukranian skeleton athlete who put his no war message out there after one of his runs at the games. as russia was amassing nearly 200000 troops on his country's borders. that his law, the ask of, it's always been out from north west ukraine. welcome to the w at the i a c and china both said the athletes shouldn't protest, but you did. so anyway, tell us about that moment. i will not fall. it's broadest. it's nicole, it's a quote because they're not mentioned any other cancer just mentioned. my country and that they want to be in my country. and i want to piece for people who lives in

my country. and when you're back home now and you'll get it out of bomb shelters, and you could even be asked to fight. have you heard anything yet and they do explain for you is what the situation is like where you are now, i am, it's now for moment on the play button to your exposure, but i hear it that morning get yesterday evening. so it's absolutely terrible. see what i see and i spoke with my friends around the rain and it's, it's terrible situation like rush, no ducks, kids that civilians it's, it's terrible. it's terrible. is it? our old family isn't your current suffering now, because of this invasion, and i hope it will and sure that's understandable. have you been spoken to about joining forces to help fight?

is that been a discussion you've had yet? i want a new experience. you know, it's interesting and not a professional sold or i'm professional of that. and so i fight on my lot for and i fired on my way to support their growth community. i mean that's it. that's the most important point. you are, of course, an athlete, and you were one of the athletes who was demanding that russia and better roost be suspended from competition. i mean, despite the international paralympics committee decision, very little is actually change for russian athletes. what did you think when you heard the news is unacceptable, isn't very important to mention that russian audits not only you know, need to explore but, or any big sports. also going to quality that they are members of military ration, you know, to so they have straight connection to,

to the war what you have now. secondly, lacks invention of the brain is a way to breach in the chapters. and they said they should have strong functions, but now it looks like nothing's changed and you can see it on the nature of like, you know, with that in big games. and also like, as we know, outlets face was a country in some way, some side view. so i like they use as propaganda. i already got a lot of messages from russia and i show one of them in instagram my in. so russia are good to me, like get bump in my house. so they, they mines are already in propaganda and it should be suspended from from the sport . thank you for that,

but i do say say thank you for talking to us for both. well, the governing body fee for suspended russian teams from all competitions, the decision bands, russia from the upcoming world cup playoffs, the women's heroes and the men's well cup. here is a look at a frantic few days in world football as feet, it was convinced to take a stand. russia hosted the last men's world cup in 2018 russian president vladimir putin and fif of us johnny infant tino acted like best friends. even then, many in football were uncomfortable with russia hosting a world cup falling. it's 2014 annexation of crimea. now, after the invasion of ukraine through russia, out of this year's tournament, and keta in november and december, has become the big topic for the globe's biggest sport. even if russia had not even qualified yet for condemns, as well. the use of force by russia, ukraine,

violence is never a solution fee for initially said russia could no longer hold any international matches at home with mutual venues used without any fans. no russian flags or anthems would be permitted, and the national team would be known as football, union of russia, rather than russia. but this was not enough of a punishment for the invasion of ukraine, according to poland, sweden, and the czech republic. those nations were future, all potential opponents for the russians in march is playoffs for katara. after consultations with our players on the polish national team, the decision was made that it does not matter in what location we do not want to play against russia. and this way, we want to show our protest against putin's aggression against ukraine. people didn't. okay. england followed suit in saying they would not play russia for the foreseeable future. this all gay fee for no real wiggle room when it came to russia,

playing at the world cup with the international olympic committee also adding to the pressure. despite infantile close bond with putin, he's been left with little choice. let's get a global view now from the group global athlete. kara donovan is a former world champion kickboxer and now speaking to speaking to and for world class athletes around the world. thank you very much for joining us and welcome to the show. we're seeing some unprecedented decisions concerning how reluctant global sports has been in the past to punish russia. is it too little too late in your life? yeah, i think like, while there's been a huge amanda statements coming from different sports federations, i think 1st of all we have to look us lot the details as like the lympics for example, on one day they really did pass the book. they happened to actually sanctioned their limpid committees of russia and bella, ruth and so when needs and you go further and it's definitely late in the day and

salute, we have to see more sciences starting with the binding of oxy in russia or from russia and batteries in the pilot, the game start this week. some say that although this is part of sports washing machine, could you tell us what that is exactly and how it works by? well, sports washing is certainly not the you concept is used by a lot of authoritarian regimes to cover up. for example, human rights abuses and i know spacing olympics on par lympics have been widely criticized for the use of sports washing and sport has been an enormous part of russia's political agenda, both domestically and internationally. and so that's why we are calling on the very sanctions almosha. i'm by the way because they will use these games they will use for it to cover up to cover up on just actions at home. and to use this as part of

their agenda. and it's something that we are seeing more and more of because the likes of sports, the i o. c, in particular, they've been complicit in this. they've been very, very happy to sit by and allow these types of countries use forward for all the wrong reasons. you say they've been complicit? do you think it's natural sporting bodies have actually left from this? do you think they will act differently when they hope countries in the future? it, you know, it's hard to answer that question as part to me. that's a little optimistic, but i have heard people say that this is a huge and it's been a huge change. now when we see all these sports regulations come out with statements like they have with severe sanctions and we have to recognize that's not true. this is only the start, but i do think the fact that there has been so much public pressure. a lot of that pressure is compromise leads and that has forced a small piece to change. and i would be very hopeful that these are gonna grow from this and just put more and more pressure on for exploration to make sure that they

don't get away with this. kero donovan from the lead group global athlete. thank you so much for joining us. that's all from me in the sports team here in berlin for more check out our website, d, w dot com, forward slash sports. we leave you with images of solidarity across the different european football leagues. do take care ah blue with

blue blue into the conflict zone with sebastian rushes, president putin has reminded the world of his massive nuclear arsenal by placing it on the higher alert is the nato alliance of a credible, determined. but how real? this is a 3rd world war generals to richard sheriff, former deputy supreme command, go with the nato alliance. i my guest this week from london, a conflict zone. you have neck, dw nathan to subscribe to lead to p a

over convention home the forge. i'm told last missing that we can number a valley that the last dragons had called to home for 2 years. typically, you books on russia has stepped up its attacks of cross ukraine, the largest invasion for seen in europe since the 2nd world war. and if that's not serious enough, russia's president putin has reminded the world of his massive nuclear arsenal by placing it on higher alert. he will seek to apply maximum force. and if nuclear is part of that austell and he feels that he which it is and he feels it's going to give him an advantage, i've no doubt that he, we should be prepared for him to use it. that's general sir. richard sheriff, former deputy supreme commando of the nato ally.