BBC

ARSENAL star Oleksandr Zinchenko has revealed he would leave the UK to fight in Ukraine if he was ever called up by his country.The footballer, 27, said his school pals are already battling Vladimir Putin’s forces as Ukraine has become a “shield” for Europe.Oleksandr Zinchenko said he will take up arms if he was called to fight in UkraineCredit: BBCNewsnightThe footballer spoke with BBC Newsnight about the invasion of his home countryCredit: BBCNewsnightZinchenko went on to call ‘super tough’ Ukraine a ‘shield’ for EuropeCredit: BBCNewsnightThe Arsenal ace said his former school friends are fighting on the frontlineCredit: GettyThe Arsenal defender told BBC Newsnight if he would take up arms and if that’s more valuable than continuing to play in the Premier League.Adamantly, Zinchenko said: “I think it’s a clear answer. I would go [to fight].”On Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed legislation that reduced the military mobilisation age from 27 to 25.This would allow the government to call up more individuals to refill its reserves, after the President’s announcement in December that the country would require 500,000 additional troops to be mobilised.Read more on ZinchenkoI really hope that this war will end soon.Oleksandr ZinchenkofootballerZinchenko added that his former school pals are fighting Putin’s troops 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.”The Arsenal ace went on to call Ukraine a “shield” for Europe, saying it was a “super tough nation”.Most read in FootballHe said: “I know maybe some people might think that it’s much easier … for me being here [in London] rather than being there [in Ukraine].”I really hope that this war will end soon.”Man City star Oleksandr Zinchenko breaks down in tears over Ukraine after winning Prem titleOleksandr Zinchenko and Andriy Shevchenko (right) pictured with Ukrainian president Volodymyr ZelenskyyCredit: AFPZinchenko said he and his family were ‘proud of our president’Credit: Instagram @u24.gov.uaZinchenko and Shevchenko at the destroyed school during their trip to UkraineHe also said he and his family were “proud of our president”.Zinchenko, who kick-started his football career with Russian team Ufa in 2016, said he no longer talks to his friends or former teammates in Russia.”Since the invasion really few [have] texted me and sent me some messages and I can’t blame them because this is not their fault,” he said.”I cannot tell them, ‘Guys, do the protests outside and all these things’, because I know they can be [put] in prison.”The footballer explained that Russians used to call Ukrainians their “brothers and sisters”, but the invasion of their country has shown “all of us Ukrainians that we can’t be friends with them anymore”.He said: “We will never forget what they have done to us, to our people.”And that’s what I will teach my kids as well. And my kids will teach their kids. This is not acceptable.”In February, President Zelensky said that 31,000 Ukrainian troops had been slain during Russia’s full-scale invasion, as well as tens of thousands of people in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.Zinchenko donated about £1million to help people in his home country since the start of Putin’s onslaught.He also mentioned that he knows of hundreds of youngsters whose parents died in the battle.The Premier League star said: “What is my duty now? How can I help as much as I can to my country, to my people, over there and all these things?”I can’t be more proud than I am right now to be Ukrainian.”I have a dream that this war will end very, very soon, and we can rebuild our Ukraine like we really want [to].”The Gunners full-back has spoken about the war and the toll it has had on him and his nation as a whole.He previously recalled the harrowing moment Russia began the invasion of his home country.Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: “My wife suddenly woke me up. And she said, ‘It started’. I said ‘What started?’ She was crying, you know, like flooding tears.”I said ‘What’s started, what’s wrong?’ And she showed me the pictures of this invasion.”Discussing his family and friends in Ukraine, he went on to add: “I’m so worried about them. And I’ll tell you what – the mentality of people they don’t want to leave, they don’t want to leave the country, even if they could.”This is their homeland. And I would for sure, after [my] football career, I will be living in Ukraine, that’s for sure. One million percent.”I was there one week ago and as soon as I passed the border it’s just my homeland, my place.”He said: “There will be a time everyone will be there. It will be the last call or something or whatever. It will be a call.”We go, all of us, we go there. Everyone will go. Of course [I would fight]. But at the same time I am thinking I am much more helpful from here at the moment.”But you never know what is going to happen. Maybe this is the last speech we are going to speak to each other. You never know.”And how many people have already been killed by this invasion? I’m not seeing myself hiding somewhere.”Last May, Zinchenko and former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko visited a school devastated by Russian attacks in Ukraine.Zinchenko and Shevchenko – who coached the Ukrainian national team between 2016-2021 – travelled to the Mykhailo-Kotsyubinsky Lyceum in Chernihiv Oblast, northern Ukraine.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe village was under occupation for 33 days from February 27 2022, with around 100 people hiding in the shelter inside the secondary school.A third of them were children, with the youngest only two months old.The Ukrainian player started his football career in Russia but said he no longer speaks to his Russian teammatesCredit: Rex More