Andrei Xepkin, on his Ukraine: "What is happening in my country is outrageous"

Andrei Xepkin, on his Ukraine: "What is happening in my country is outrageous"



Andrey Xepkin (Nova Kajovka, Ukraine, 1965) was the tower of Barça's handball 'dream team' and is a legend of that sport. He has the Champions League record: six with Barça and one with Kiel. The former international with the USSR and with Spain now works at the Barcelona Masia, although his mind is set on his native country.

-How are you living all this situation?

-I follow the news and talk to the affected people directly. What is happening is a massacre. Hopefully the two parties reach an agreement as soon as possible to stop this war now. There are many people who lose their lives. It is outrageous what is happening in my country, which at this point in the 21st century is happening in Europe. It shouldn't happen here, or in Iraq, or Africa, or anywhere. The international community has had a long time not to become extreme. There have been equally inappropriate decisions. Let's not make any more mistakes.

-Eight years of latent conflict but hardly anyone could imagine that the Russian invasion would come.

-With all those I have spoken to, with the people who are in the Ukraine, and with the Russians and the Ukrainians who live outside their countries of origin, nobody expected it. Everything has been so fast that we have not had time.

-In addition to the dead and wounded, there are areas of the country where there are no communications, stores are closed and people have food for a week.

-We already know how the Russians advance, what they surely did not expect is this resistance. The resistance of Ukraine is important, the people are mobilized, the army defends its territory, eagerly.

-Many Ukrainians say they don't want to leave because if they leave, who will defend their country?

-Ukrainian patriotism has a very high level, people sacrifice their lives. Men and many women in the trenches defending their country.

-Is the European Union doing enough?

-They do everything except conflict for obvious reasons. Help as such exists. And diplomacy is activated but at this point it is too late. If the means that exist serve to stop the war, welcome.

-All conflicts are shit, but it seems that they impact more when they pass by.

-I already know that what touches us more is what we have next to us. But it's a bit hypocritical, isn't it? Any war has its victims, it has people who suffer here in Africa, Asia and everywhere. It's always outrageous and there are always interests involved: economic issues, gas, oil. The world is like that.

-The gas had caused some governments to put themselves in profile.

-There are countries that look the other way because 'the fight is the fight'. It shouldn't be like this. These issues do not have to be fixed when they happen but to anticipate so as not to reach such extremes. There are never ever just wars. When someone invades a country it is always unfair.

-We take things for granted such as, for example, that a bomb does not fall on you and that, unfortunately, from one day to the next they can change.

-The other day I went to the supermarket and I felt guilty for being in a world where you can buy basic things. When I saw people doing the same thing, I thought that maybe it didn't even cross their minds to think about it. And I understand it because when it affects you directly is when you realize it the most. I am against any war.

-I imagine that he is with a brutal tension and anguish.

-I try to be busy with my work but I am aware of the news all day and it is a brutal emotional drain. But how am I going to talk about my exhaustion with which the people who are there suffer.



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