BY BEN KERRIGAN
Russia fought honestly for the right to host the 2018 World Cup and the decision should not be called into question, the Russian president has insisted. Vladimin Putin has declared that the decision to award Russia with the right to host the 2018 world cup should not be questioned because Russia fought honestly for that right.
He told journalists during an investment forum in Saint Petersburg “We fought in an honest manner [for the tournament] and we won. We do not think the decision should be questioned,”
“We were ready and that’s what convinced Fifa. The stadium construction has already started. If anyone has evidence, let them present it. We won a fair fight and are going to host the World Cup”.Well, that depends on the findings of the investigation, and this is something Putin cannot pre-empt. What he considers fair may turn out to be unfair when all is closely examined. There is also the possibility that Putin might not be aware of all that took place in the process of Russia’s bid to secure the 2018 World cup, so he may not be in much of a position to say how fair the process of selection was.
The head of Fifa’s auditing and compliance committee, Domenico Scala, has already warned Russia and Qatar could lose the right to host the the 2018 and 2022 World Cups if evidence was found of corruption in the bidding process.
Putin expressed his unreserved support for the ongoing corruption that has plunged fifa into an unprecedented crisis ever since the revelation of the wide ranging corruption that has seen 14 football kingpins indicted and facing jail if convicted. The Russian President seized the opportunity to express its willingness to merge forces with America in thwarting the threat posed by the Islamic State, whilst calling for a settlement to the Iranian nuclear stand off and a peaceful transition in Syria.
SETTLEMENT AND FOREIGN POLICY
He urged America to join them in helping to ensure and facilitate a quick settlement to the Iranian nuclear stand off , and a political transition in Syria. He went on to emphasize the importance of a Ukranian peace deal which he stated must necessarily embody amnesty to the rebels and the calling of local elections.
On foreign policy, Putin wants the U.S to exert pressure on rebels to abide by the peace deal with Kiev, and insists that compliance will automatically follow once Russia’s ”legitimate interests” are considered. It is fair to say that those interests are clearly in conflict with the U.S and Ukraine, otherwise they should be no dissension on the way way forward. The west and Ukraine have accused Russia of supplying the rebels with weapons, but Putin argued they have been pushed back to ”a line beyond which we cannot retreat”
Putin seemed to be be stipulating a deadline of end of June this month for a peace deal Iranian nuclear program stand off, insisting on viable and pragmatic conditions to be placed upon Tehran, so as not to unduly frustrate the peace process .
“We are ready to work with the president to ensure political transformation, so that all Syrians have access to instruments of power,” the Russian President said. If only it was that easy, there will be peace all over the world. The reality is that every country in conflict views things from their own biased perspective, and this always compromises the prospect of a unified outlook driven towards a peaceful solution.
