Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zichenko says he would leave the Premier League to fight in Ukraine if he were called up by his country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week signed into law a measure lowering the country’s army mobilisation age from 27 to 25, the country’s parliament said on its website.
Professional footballer Zinchenko, who has won 60 caps for Ukraine, told BBC’s Newsnight programme he would answer a call-up.
“I think it’s a clear answer. I would go (to fight)“, he said.
He added that former school friends were involved in the conflict.
“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.
The 27-year-old former Manchester City player told the BBC he had donated about £1m ($1.25m) to help people in his country since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“I know maybe some people might think that it’s much easier … for me being here (in London) rather than being there (in Ukraine),” he said. “I really hope that this war will end soon.”
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Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zichenko says he would leave the Premier League to fight in Ukraine if he were called up by his country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week signed into law a measure lowering the country’s army mobilisation age from 27 to 25, the country’s parliament said on its website.
Professional footballer Zinchenko, who has won 60 caps for Ukraine, told BBC’s Newsnight programme he would answer a call-up.
“I think it’s a clear answer. I would go (to fight)“, he said.
He added that former school friends were involved in the conflict.
“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.
The 27-year-old former Manchester City player told the BBC he had donated about £1m ($1.25m) to help people in his country since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“I know maybe some people might think that it’s much easier … for me being here (in London) rather than being there (in Ukraine),” he said. “I really hope that this war will end soon.”