Michel Platini has rejected calls to boycott the 2018 World Cup that Russia is set to host.

      According to him, sports should not be a target. “Leave politics to politicians while sports must be a unifying force,” he was quoted by Vesti.kz as saying.

      Russia was picked as the host nation for the 2018 World Cup, which will take place in 9 of its cities.

      The calls to take the World Cup away from Russia or boycott it have come from some of the US congressmen following a spat between the West and Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

      The US and the EU have introduced visa bans and asset freezes for senior Russian officials and individuals with close ties to the Kremlin.

      Pursuant to Executive Order 13661 signed by President Obama on March 16, 2014, the US Treasury will freeze any of assets belonging to 20 Russian individuals and one bank within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit any transactions with them.

      Among them are 16 officials, including Viktor Ozerov, Vladimir Dzhabarov, Evgeny Bushmin, Nikolai Ryzhkov, Sergey Zheleznyak, Sergey Mironov, Aleksandr Totoonov, Oleg Panteleev, Sergey Naryshkin, Viktor Ivanov, Igor Sergun, Sergei Ivanov, AlexeyGromov, Andrey Fursenko, Vladimir Yakunin, and Vladimir Kozhin. Also on the list are four “members of the inner circle”, including Gennady Timchenko, Arkady Rotenberg, Boris Rotenberg, and Yury Kovalchuk.

      These individuals being designated because each is controlled by, has acted for or on behalf of, or has provided material or other support to, a senior Russian government official.

      Get more news on the Ukraine crisis on Russia-IC.