World football legend 81-year-old Brazilian Pele (Edson Arantis di Nascimento) called on russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
“There is absolutely no excuse for this ongoing violence. This conflict is horrific, unjustified and brings nothing but pain, fear and hatred,” reads an open letter to Putin posted on Pele's Instagram page.
“The opportunity to stop it (conflict, - ed.) - in your hands, those that I shook during our last meeting in Moscow in 2017,” - added the footballer.
Pele took part in the events of the International Football Federation, which preceded the 2018 World Cup in russia. According to Time magazine, he is one of the 100 most influential people globally.