The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) World Air Sports Federation has supported Ukraine and suspended russia and belarus from membership
The year 2022 will go down in world history. No sooner had humanity started recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic than it faced unprecedented and unjustified aggression from the criminal country russia and its accomplice belarus.
On February 24, 2022, russian troops began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With its unrestrained land, sea and air invasion of Ukraine, Russia grossly violated the UN Charter and numerous standards of international law. This act of aggression is the most serious and flagrant violation of the international legal order.
The russian forces are maliciously destroying Ukraine’s civilian population, launching rocket attacks and bombing cities, including civilian areas, shelling kindergartens, schools and hospitals, and blatantly destroying critical infrastructure across the country. It is uncontested that belarus continues to allow its territory to be used as an offensive platform for russian troops. This means that belarus is wholly participating in the wanton destruction of the Ukrainian people.
The Iron Curtain, Expulsion of russian and belarusian Athletes
In response to this bold aggression by russia and belarus, dozens of countries are imposing various economic sanctions on these countries. International organizations, including sports organizations, are actively suspending the membership of russia and belarus and excluding them from all planned activities. The slogan “No more Russia in international sport” is becoming increasingly popular.
A rough estimate indicates that more than 100 international sports federations have already supported Ukraine and imposed sanctions on russia and belarus.
Therefore, the International Olympic Committee will not allow russian and belarusian athletes to compete in the next Olympics. The International Paralympic Committee has already banned athletes from russia and belarus from participating in the 2022 Paralympics.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) have suspended the participation of russian clubs and national teams in all competitions under their auspices.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has suspended all russian clubs and national teams from participating in competitions under its auspices. Restrictions also apply to women’s and youth teams, 3×3 basketball players and referees from russia.
Sanctions are also imposed in hockey, tennis, athletics, handball, biathlon, volleyball, boxing, chess, motorsports and many other sports.
As a result of the audacious aggression, russia lost, and belarus continues to lose access to world sports, at least until the end of the putin and lukashenko regimes. For now, russian athletes are outcasts. Teams from other countries categorically refuse to permit them on the same field.
The position of the World Air Sports Federation (FAI) and the implementation of emergency measures
The main activity of the Spacemodelling Sport Federation of Ukraine is the popularization and development of spacemodelling sport in Ukraine, furthering all-around personality development and encouraging a healthy lifestyle for Ukrainian athletes, most of whom are children and teenagers. The Federation has always been guided by international and Ukrainian law, and all actions have been formed exclusively based on creation and peace.
The Spacemodelling Sport Federation of Ukraine is a permanent member of the World Air Sports Federation and has a long and fruitful history of cooperation. Our athletes have been participating in FAI events for years, creating worthy competition.
Despite the war between russia and Ukraine, which began in 2014, our federation together with its partner NGO “Association Noosphere” continued the development of youth in space modelling and demonstrated our Ukrainian hospitality by organizing the 2015 European Championship and the 2016 World Championship in Ukraine. At these competitions, Noosphere and the Spacemodelling Sport Federation of Ukraine introduced CupNavigator, an online scoring system.
Bearing in mind the overarching goal of the FAI of developing air sports, in an official letter dated 28 February 2022, the International Aviation Federation stated that:
“The military conflict taking place in Ukraine is of grave international concern. We are all deeply saddened by the inevitable human cost of war and the humanitarian crises that will be created because of this conflict.
To maintain that aim under the circumstances created by the military conflict in the Ukraine, the FAI Executive Board has unanimously decided to implement the followingииextraordinary measures:
❗ To suspend the members of Russia and Belarus with immediate effect and therefore removing all rights as listed in FAI Statutes 2.4.2.1″.
This means that from now on the representatives of these two countries:
⛔ are no longer entitled to administer Sporting Powers delegated by FAI;
⛔ are no longer entitled to organize FAI international competitions;
⛔ are no longer entitled to assist in the homologation of aeronautic and
space records in their respective Countries;
⛔ are no longer entitled to participate in FAI sporting events;
⛔ are no longer entitled to work of the specialized FAI Air Sport Commissions and Technical Commissions;
⛔ are no longer entitled to attend FAI meetings, to nominate a Vice-President to represent the Active Member, a Regional Vice-President, if required, and delegates to other FAI bodies as provided for in FAI ByLaws, to represent their respective Countries in FAI matters and to exercise such voting rights as prescribed by the Statutes, the FAI By-Laws and the Sporting Code.
These emergency measures apply not only to spacemodelling sport but to all aviation sports with which the FAI works.
We are grateful for our partners’ support and call on the whole world not to allow unjust aggressors to jeopardize the fundamentals of international law!
Act within the limits that are available to you. Help stop the genocide of the Ukrainian people!
*The Ukrainian people feel that russia et al should no longer be afforded the respect of capitalized first letters. This is a deliberate action in response to the blatant lack of human decency and respect that they have shown.