Russia has welcomed FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s comments that the world football governing body is considering lifting the international football ban placed on Russian teams in February 2022, shortly after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Infantino disclosed in an interview with Sky News on Monday that FIFA was looking into ending the years-long ban on Russia. He argued that countries should not be prevented from playing football because of political leaders’ choices.

“We have to (end the ban), because this ban has not achieved anything; it has just created more frustration and hatred,” stated Infantino. “Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”

He added, “We should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders. Somebody needs to keep the ties open.”

Reacting to the development on Tuesday, the Kremlin, through its spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, noted that Russia had seen Infantino’s comments, adding that it was the right time for FIFA to restore the rights of Russian footballers.

“We have seen these statements [by Infantino], and we welcome them. It’s high time to think about this,” Peskov said during a briefing with journalists on Tuesday. “Our footballers, our national team, must have their rights fully restored. We hope that sooner or later such discussions will take place in FIFA.”

He added, “In reality, there has never been any justification to politicise sports, including football, which embodies the principles of Olympism. That’s our position, and it has been from the very beginning. We hope that FIFA will eventually hold discussions on this matter.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine has fiercely condemned Infantino’s comments, with the country’s sports minister, Matvii Bindnyi, branding them as ‘infantile’ and ‘irresponsible’ as he warned against any attempt to bring Russia back into the football fold while the war in his country is still going on.

“Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible—not to say infantile,” the minister said. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed. Let me remind you that since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russians. Among them were more than one hundred footballers,” Bindnyi said.