A top British pol wants to yank away Russia’s right to host the 2018 World Cup as a stunning rebuke to President Vladimir Putin for “belligerent behavior” in the downing of a passenger jet.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told The Sunday Times newspaper it was “unthinkable” the Russian leader would have the opportunity to prop up his image at soccer’s biggest sporting event after his country’s alleged involvement in shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine. All 298 people onboard Flight 17 were killed July 17.
“After this terrible, terrible downing of that jet, it is essential that the European Union gets tough on Vladimir Putin,” Clegg told the newspaper.
The British pol’s plea comes after several lawmakers in Germany urged the World Cup be moved to a different host nation in part due to the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. “You can’t have the beautiful game marred by the ugly aggression of Russia on the Russian-Ukrainian border,” said Clegg as fighting in the region escalated Sunday.
Clegg and a top U.S. official also called for tougher sanctions against Russia.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told The Sunday Times newspaper it was “unthinkable” the Russian leader would have the opportunity to prop up his image at soccer’s biggest sporting event after his country’s alleged involvement in shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine. All 298 people onboard Flight 17 were killed July 17.
“After this terrible, terrible downing of that jet, it is essential that the European Union gets tough on Vladimir Putin,” Clegg told the newspaper.
The British pol’s plea comes after several lawmakers in Germany urged the World Cup be moved to a different host nation in part due to the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. “You can’t have the beautiful game marred by the ugly aggression of Russia on the Russian-Ukrainian border,” said Clegg as fighting in the region escalated Sunday.
Clegg and a top U.S. official also called for tougher sanctions against Russia.
That may happen this week, a top Obama administration official predicted