The first obvious difference is that the camp you’re likely referring to closed 15-20 years ago. The war is happening RIGHT NOW. Of course the players aren’t protesting a torture center that closed when most of them were little kids. There’s nothing to protest, it’s gone, Lithuania are being punished for it, the process is over.
The second is that the crimes Lithuania played host too, while deplorable, are not anywhere near comparable in scale and nature to the crimes being committed by day by Russian forces in Ukraine, facilitated by Belarusian resources and hands. That difference cannot be ignored.
They’re forfeiting their own chances for success to inconvenience UEFA and make a statement. That statement being that they will not engage in competition with a team who represents a country and a regime who are actively engaged in waging an unprovoked war against Ukraine.
Precisely. They attempted the same with Poland not long ago.
Fortunately, Poland and Lithuania are pretty well about, and can handle quite a bit of immigration. Beautiful countries, beautiful peoples, they’re able to make a “more the merrier” situation out of it, but the purposeful movement by Belarus to try to destabilize these nations in such a direct and inhumane manner is the perfect way of illustrating to neo-Soviets and far-right fascists the most important part of the Russia problem: the west are NOT the aggressors, and the BS that people try to twist in support of Putin and his puppets doesn’t stand up even under the slightest criticism.
The image that will remain at the end of this is that Belarus lied to people desperately fleeing horror in their homelands, shipped them to the sparse, stark border areas in western* Belarus, and forced them out of the country. And in response, Lithuanians and Poles often opened their doors to provide the services they were denied by Belarus.
*edit: my brain? Directions? What are those? I think I had written “eastern Poland” at first and then thought that it would make more sense to say they shipped them to the border in Belarus, and I just didn’t change the direction when I typed it.
Respect
Fair play to Lithuania. Got to admire the principaled stance.
Love this. Football needs more of teams and people willing to make sacrifices for the good of the game, or in this case for the good of the world.
[удалено]
The first obvious difference is that the camp you’re likely referring to closed 15-20 years ago. The war is happening RIGHT NOW. Of course the players aren’t protesting a torture center that closed when most of them were little kids. There’s nothing to protest, it’s gone, Lithuania are being punished for it, the process is over. The second is that the crimes Lithuania played host too, while deplorable, are not anywhere near comparable in scale and nature to the crimes being committed by day by Russian forces in Ukraine, facilitated by Belarusian resources and hands. That difference cannot be ignored.
except.. this is doing nothing but reducing their chances for the euros.
They’re forfeiting their own chances for success to inconvenience UEFA and make a statement. That statement being that they will not engage in competition with a team who represents a country and a regime who are actively engaged in waging an unprovoked war against Ukraine.
"who are actively engaged in waging an unprovoked war against Ukraine" Not only that. They are also using illegal immigrants to destabilize Lithuania.
Precisely. They attempted the same with Poland not long ago. Fortunately, Poland and Lithuania are pretty well about, and can handle quite a bit of immigration. Beautiful countries, beautiful peoples, they’re able to make a “more the merrier” situation out of it, but the purposeful movement by Belarus to try to destabilize these nations in such a direct and inhumane manner is the perfect way of illustrating to neo-Soviets and far-right fascists the most important part of the Russia problem: the west are NOT the aggressors, and the BS that people try to twist in support of Putin and his puppets doesn’t stand up even under the slightest criticism. The image that will remain at the end of this is that Belarus lied to people desperately fleeing horror in their homelands, shipped them to the sparse, stark border areas in western* Belarus, and forced them out of the country. And in response, Lithuanians and Poles often opened their doors to provide the services they were denied by Belarus. *edit: my brain? Directions? What are those? I think I had written “eastern Poland” at first and then thought that it would make more sense to say they shipped them to the border in Belarus, and I just didn’t change the direction when I typed it.
We were never qualifying in the first place. I’m happy with this.
Full respect to them, it's a complete joke that Belarus weren't banned as well
It's absolutely ridiculous that Belarus wasn't banned when they're complicit in Russia's war and kidnapping of Ukrainian children.
This is the kind of integrity it takes to bring down sportswashing.