MOSCOW, June 19 - RIA Novosti. German streaming service Magenta TV, which broadcasts Euro 2024 soccer matches, showed a map of Europe on which Crimea was not marked as part of Ukraine, after which the presenter apologized, Bild reported.
About half an hour before the Group F match between Turkey and Georgia, Magenta TV showed a program dedicated to the upcoming game, featuring host Johann Kerner and expert and former footballer Michael Ballack. In front of them was a map of Europe, on which the participating countries of Euro 2024 were highlighted. According to a screenshot cited by Bild, Ukraine on the map was colored in the colors of its flag without the territory of Crimea, which was marked in white like all countries not taking part in the tournament.
"A small note to myself, which is very important for us: in the run-up to this game we made a grave mistake. We showed an incorrect image of Europe, on which Crimea was not labeled as part of Ukraine. We are very sorry and would like to apologize," Bild quoted Kerner as saying.
Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014, in which 96.77% of Crimean voters and 95.6% of Sevastopol residents voted in favor of becoming part of Russia. Ukraine still considers Crimea its own but temporarily occupied territory. The European Union has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize the incorporation of Crimea and Sevastopol into Russia. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that the residents of Crimea voted in favor of reunification with Russia in a democratic way, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Crimean issue is "closed definitively".
Reprinted from RIA Novosti
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