Former Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has hit out at the amount of interest in Russia's conflict with Ukraine, claiming it is 'racist' and 'grim' that other conflicts have not been given the same attention.
Russian president Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine last month, accusing their neighbours of being a threat to their security and claiming his goal was to 'demilitarise' the country and rid them of 'Nazi' leaders.
But the world has been rocked by horrifying images and clips of the war following four full weeks of fighting, with hundreds of innocent Ukrainian civilians killed in sickening scenes that have led to an outpouring of support across the globe.
But Bellerin - who now plays for Spanish team Real Betis - instead questioned why countries were more concerned with latest war but 'turned a blind eye' to previous conflicts, such as in Palestine, Yemen and Iraq.
'I find it pretty grim seeing how we've been so interested in this war, but there were others that we didn't bother with.
'I don't know if it's because it could affect us more economically or in terms of refugees, but the war in Palestine has been silenced and nobody has talked about it.
'It happens in Palestine, Yemen, Iraq… Now we're deciding whether Russia will play in the World Cup or not… In the end these are things that other countries have been doing for many years.
'It is racist to have turned a blind eye to other conflicts and now to have this position.
'It also reflects a lack of empathy for the number of lives lost in many conflicts and we are prioritising those that are near to us.'