FIFA calls for end to Ukraine war as Russia attends annual congress in Qatar

Russian football officials stunned delegates from other nations by attending the annual FIFA Congress in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegate — dressed in a flak jacket — sent a video message from his embattled nation.

«Unfortunately, I cannot be with you today,» said Ukrainian Football Association president Andriy Pavelko, as men behind him could be seen packing sandbags around a statue.

«For over a month we have been defending our country and resisting the military aggression of the Russian Federation.

»During this period, we regularly receive sad news about the deaths of Ukrainian football community representatives.

«They are killed by the aggressor's bullets and shells, one of the biggest armies in the world.

»Football has taken a back seat because every day, adults and children die in our country."

Ukraine's ambassador to Qatar, Andrii Kuzmenko, was an observer at the congress.

He told Al Jazeera the Russian Football Union (RFU) should have been kicked out of the meeting.

«I think they have to be expelled from this body [FIFA]» Mr Kuzmenko said.

«They have perpetrated crimes, they committed terror, they violated all the norms of civilisation.»

Alexey Sorokin, an advisor to the RFU, said Russian officials had «every right» to be at the congress and they were «not hiding».

«What does Russian football have to do with all this? What has Russian football done wrong?» Mr Sorokin said.

«I don't find any clause in the FIFA statutes that were broken by Russian football.»

After being criticised for their initial move to ban games in Russia, FIFA and UEFA unite to suspend Russia from international football, all but ruling them out of the men's World Cup.

Russia's teams have been banned from all football competitions,