Russia has received international sanction for its actions in Ukraine. This is far more than economic sanctions.
The British organizers of the world’s biggest dog show, Crufts, have banned Russian owners and their pets from competing, in response to their country’s ongoing offensive of Ukraine.
The high-profile event features more than 16,000 dogs representing 38 different countries. It is being held in Birmingham (central England) since Thursday.
The Kennel Club decided that none of these year’s participants are Russian. “with a heavy heart,”It is not permissible for some Russian dog owners to have competition with 51 Russian dogs. “in the light of rapidly evolving circumstances.”
The Kennel Club’s chairman, Tony Allcock, later clarified what those ‘circumstances’ were, saying the organization “shares the world’s dismay and devastation” over the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
“These actions are a violation of human rights that are leaving those people in our canine community and beyond fearing for their lives, and, as an organization focused on animal welfare, our hearts are also breaking for all the dogs and other animals affected by this invasion,”He stated this Thursday.
The Kennel Club will be donating £50,000 (around $66,000) to support partner groups in Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary so they can assist owners and their pets during the conflict.
After a break of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2002, the participants have been back at the show and are showing their support for Ukraine. Owners and their dogs were photographed wearing yellow and blue ribbons that resemble the Ukrainian flag colors.
“It’s my way to show I’m thinking of the Ukrainians,”One of the owners spoke to AFP. “I mean, it’s appalling. It’s at least that I have the ability to live my everyday life as normal. They can’t.”
Last week, Russian cats and their owners faced similar restrictions, as the International Feline Federation barred them from all its shows, citing the offensive in Ukraine as the reason.
The clampdown on Russia has also affected the country’s athletes in numerous disciplines, including football, with its national squad and clubs banned from international competitions. This has resulted in Valery Gergiev (a well-known conductor) and Anna Netrebko (an opera diva) losing their jobs.
Long-dead Russians are being targeted. Italian universities have cancelled a course about the 19th century writer Fyodor Dusevsky. A Welsh orchestra, however, has removed Pyotr tchaikovsky pieces from their program.
Moscow attacked its neighbor in late February, following a seven-year standoff over Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, and Russia’s eventual recognition of the breakaway republics in Donetsk and Lugansk. Protocols that were French and German-brokered had been established to normalize those areas within Ukraine’s state.
Russia demanded Ukraine be declared neutral by the United States and refuse to join NATO. Kiev maintains that Russia’s offensive was not provoked and denies claims that it planned to seize the two republics.
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