Ukraine ambassador dismisses BBC's Panorama as ‘biased’

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By John Glenday, Reporter

June 8, 2012 | 1 min read

Volodymyr Khandogiy, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, has dubbed a

/news/2012/05/29/euro-2012-tournament-reels-ukraine-pr-disaster">BBC Panorama programme exposing racism in Ukraine as “biased and unfair”.

His remarks came as UK government ministers confirmed that they would boycott the tournament in the eastern European nation over its treatment of political opponents, an act which Khandogiy said he regretted.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Khandogiy said: “"We do have instances of bad behaviour, intolerable behaviour, including [racial abuse] on the ground. But still they are instances. We are prepared to investigate and to get to the bottom of these instances rather than to generalise about racism in Ukraine."

Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate depicted Ukrainian fans setting upon a group of Asian supporters as well as Nazi salutes being made from the stands.

When pressed on the political snub delivered by the UK government Khandogiy said that he believed sport and politics, “don’t mix”.

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