Arsenal footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko has expressed his readiness to depart from the UK to join the fight in Ukraine if he receives the call to do so.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight, the 27-year-old revealed that he has contributed approximately £1 million to aid individuals in his homeland since the commencement of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
He emphasized that Ukraine has become a “shield” for Europe and emphasized the necessity for increased assistance.
On Wednesday, the country’s president approved legislation to reduce the military mobilization age from 27 to 25, enabling the nation to summon more individuals to reinforce its reserves. This decision follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement in December, indicating that Ukraine would require an additional 500,000 soldiers to be mobilized.
When questioned by BBC Newsnight about whether he would heed a call-up to engage in combat, should he perceive greater significance in that than continuing to participate in football within the Premier League.
“I think it’s a clear answer. I would go [to fight]”, he said.
He added that he had former school friends fighting on the frontline.
“It’s tough to understand that just recently we’ve been in the same school, we were playing in the playground or on the football pitch, and now they have to defend our country,” he said.
“And, honestly, [it’s] so hard to accept this, but it is what it is. We cannot give up.”