The Effects Of The Russian Invasion On Ukraine

Due to the invasion on Ukraine by Russia, there have been many consequences followed such as the Russian football clubs and teams being banned by FIFA and UEFA from all international football competitions, as well as Disney and Sony Pictures halting some major film releases in Russia due to the Ukraine invasion. There is further news on Poland closing borders for African and Indian students, who are saying they are “being discriminated against” as they try to flee. All of these effects are caused by the Russian invasion in Ukraine, so read on for additional details if you would like to find out more.

Currently, there are thousands of African and Indian students living in Ukraine to study at universities, but since the Russian invasion began in Ukraine, all the students have been trapped at the borders due to not being able to leave. There are reports that discrimination is involved in this matter, as many are being prevented from boarding trains and busses to go to the border and cross to other countries for safety.

A student in Ukraine called Korrine Sky, “who helped coordinate escape routes for hundreds of African students trapped in the country, told Insider that some have struggled to get on buses heading to the border”. She said, “Some people have gone to get buses, but they’re not allowing Black people basically onto the buses. They’re prioritizing Ukrainians. That’s what they say.”

Russian football clubs and national teams have been suspended from all competitions by FIFA and UEFA after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This affects the Russian men’s team who will not play the World Cup play-off matches next month anymore, and the women’s team will not be able to participate in this summer’s Euro 2022 competition. The world and European football governing bodies said Russian football clubs and teams would be banned “until further notice”.

FIFA and UEFA released a joined statement, saying, “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people.”

Furthemore, Warner Bros, The Walt Disney Co, and Sony Pictures, have all said on Monday that they would “pause” the releases of their films in Russia. Each of these studios have huge upcoming releases that had been set to debut internationally in the coming weeks, such as ‘The Batman’ by WarnerMedia.

Disney’s spokesperson also released a statement to say, “Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming ‘Turning Red’ from Pixar. We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”

On Monday, The Motion Picture Association (MPA) said that it “stands with the international community in upholding the rule of law and condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”. They said, “On behalf of our member companies, who lead the film, TV and streaming industry, we express our strongest support for Ukraine’s vibrant creative community who, like all people, deserve to live and work peacefully.”

It would come to no surprise that more consequences are to follow in the next few days or weeks, depending on how long this lasts, as we cannot be sure whether this invasion will stop here or not.