Ukrainian and Belarusian teams won’t be drawn against one another in UEFA competitions, the European football governing body has ruled.
The decision was made at an Executive Committee meeting on Friday and is another measure made in response to the military conflict in Ukraine currently being led by Russia with support from Belarus.
“Today’s further decision is made to ensure the smooth running of UEFA competitions as the safety and security of the teams, officials and other participants may not be fully guaranteed due to the existence of a military conflict,” said UEFA when announcing the development.
Furthermore, the organization said that its Executive Committee will “remain on standby” to convene further meetings so that it can reassess the legal and factual situation as it evolves while adopting further decisions “as necessary“.
Even before the conflict escalated in late February, Russia and Ukraine were already prevented from facing one another.