Svi Mykhailiuk Says ‘No War’ in Response to Ukraine Conflict
Svi Mykhailiuk posted a statement to social media on Thursday night in which he said “No War” in response to the conflict in his native Ukraine.
Late Wednesday evening in the United States, Russian soldiers, on the orders of president Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine.
Mykhailiuk, who played basketball for Kansas, posted the message on behalf of himself and his countryman, Alex Len. The words were in both English and Ukrainian.
“A great tragedy befell our dear homeland Ukraine. We categorically condemn this war. Ukraine is a peaceful, sovereign state inhabited by people who what to decide their own destiny. We pray for our families, friends, relatives and all the people who are in the territory of Ukraine. We hope for an end to this terrible war as soon as possible. Dear fellow Ukrainians, hold on! Our strength is in unity! We are with you!”
The message ended with the signatures of both men along with the hashtag #IStandWithUkraine.
The Kansas basketball twitter accounts was among the social media accounts that retweeted the post.
Mykhailiuk is a native of Cherkasy, Ukraine, and played four seasons for the Jayhawks from 2014-18. The Second-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2018 set the program’s record for most 3-pointers in a season at the time, when he connected on 115 in the 2017-18 season.
He was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s bounced around the league, with stints playing for the Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder before signing a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2021.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
