Ukrainian fans use Euro play-off to highlight UN failures and Russia's aggression
The Ukrainian national team competes in the playoffs for a spot in the European Championship. Some fans displayed two provocative banners during their match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
22 March 2024 14:14
The first banner read in English, "Russia is a terrorist country." Meanwhile, the second message was, "UN still useless. Srebrenica - 1995. Ukraine - 2022 is ???".
Srebrenica is situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It witnessed the most significant genocide in Europe since the end of World War II. The Serbian army massacred over eight thousand Bosniak people. Since 1993, Srebrenica was declared a safe area by the UN, but neither this declaration nor subsequent actions by the organization prevented the genocide.
At present, fans of the Ukrainian national team are seeking to bring international attention to Russia's military aggression. The conflict, initiated by the aggressor, has been ongoing in Ukraine since 2022.
The Euro play-off semi-final took place at the Bilino Polje Stadium, roughly 200 miles west of Srebrenica. For the Ukrainians, it served as a moment to remind people of the United Nations' failure to act during the Balkan war, as well as Russia's attack on Ukraine.
In the final 10 minutes, Ukraine clinched a 2:1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winners will face Iceland in the play-off final on Tuesday, with the game hosted at a Wrocław stadium. This time, the Ukrainians will be the nominal hosts.
