Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin claims it’s ‘racist’ to turn a blind eye to other world conflicts amid ’s ongoing invasion of .
Russian president Vladmir Putin gave the orders to invade Ukraine last month that has already resulted in thousands of deaths and over ten million people being forced to flee their homes.
US president and UK Prime Minister have condemned Putin’s actions but Bellerin believes countries are only paying attention because it’s in Europe and other conflicts in the likes of Yemen and Iraq have been neglected.
‘It is quite difficult to see that we are more interested in this war than in others,’ Bellerin told .
‘I don’t know if it is because they are more like us or because the conflict can affect us more directly both economically and in terms of refugees.’
When discussing specific examples, the 27-year-old added: ‘The Palestinian war has been completely silenced, no one speaks about it.
‘Yemen, Iraq… now Russia not being able to play in the World Cup is something that other countries have faced for many years.
‘It’s racist to have turned a blind eye to other conflicts and now to have this position.
‘It also reflects a lack of empathy for the number of lives lost in many conflicts and we are prioritising those that are near to us.’
Bellerin, who is currently on loan at Real Betis, is one of several sports stars to speak out about the ongoing conflict in recent weeks.
West Ham and Ukrainian star the war has had on his family.
‘When it all started, on February 24, I arrived at training and couldn’t even talk. I had tears flowing. I asked the coach to let me go home,’ he told Ukrainian YouTube channel Football 1/2/3.
‘I didn’t believe this could happen. I sent my family to Kyiv because my child had to have a doctor’s appointment.
‘Can you imagine what I was like when it started the next morning? I just wanted to run and hit my head against a wall. What a fool I was sending my family to Kyiv and I am sitting in London.’
Bellerin’s comments come amid – despite their clubs and national teams being currently suspended by FIFA and UEFA.
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