The Power to End the Conflict is in the Hands I Shook in Moscow: Pelé to Putin

The Brazilian footballer Pelé has written an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to "stop the invasion of Ukraine." The letter was published on Instagram.

Pelé shared his message just before Ukraine’s first official match since the start of the conflict, which took place in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Scotland.

"In just a few minutes, Ukraine will conduct its first official meeting since the start of the conflict. I personally wrote this letter and hope for an end to the violence, so we can together build a better world," Pelé stated.

The legendary athlete emphasized that violence has no justification: "This conflict, like all others, is immoral, unjustified, and brings nothing but pain, fear, horror, and suffering. There is no reason for it to continue... When we met and exchanged broad smiles, followed by a long handshake, it was unimaginable that one day we could be as divided as we are today," Pelé wrote.

"The power to end this conflict is in your hands. In those very hands I shook in Moscow during our last meeting in 2017," the footballer added.