A group of influential U.S. senators asked the President of FIFA Joseph Blatter with a "strong recommendation" to reconsider the decision to grant Russia the right to host the FIFA world Cup in 2018.

As reported Censor.NET With reference to UKRINFORM, the text of the open letter, signed by 13 legislators, posted on the website of the US Senate Committee on foreign relations.

"Given the continuing violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, we respectfully request that You convene an extraordinary FIFA Congress to review the decision on deprivation of Russia the right to host the world Cup in 2018", - the document says.

The senators noted that if you allow hosting the world Cup in Russia, "it would be inappropriate to support the prestige of the Putin regime at the time, as it should be condemned."

Almost a year has passed since, "when the Russian troops unmarked and the separatists began the dismemberment of Ukraine". Since then, more than 40 member countries of FIFA imposed sanctions against Russia with the aim to end the conflict, noted in the letter.

"It is unacceptable that when almost half of the participants of the 2014 world Cup joined the international sanctions regime to counter Russian aggression, FIFA didn't even consider giving members the opportunity to vote on the transfer of the 2018 world Cup to a country that respects the General principles of FIFA and international law," the document says.

For the purpose of overcoming the crisis in Ukraine and ensure the successful 2018 world Cup in the U.S. Senate, "urged FIFA to deny the Putin regime in honour of hosting the world Cup in 2018 and prepare to move it to an alternative host country".

The letter was signed by senators from both parties: Robert Menendez, Ron Johnson, Richard Durbin, David Purdue, Jeanne Shaheen, John cronyn, Claire McCaskill, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, James Comrade, Patrick Toomey, Marco Rubio and mark kirk.

Source: http://censor.net.ua/