Titled tennis player, Elina Svitolina, has become the second ambassador for UNITED24, a fundraising platform initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The ambassador was introduced during a zoom call with the President of Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, and platform coordinator Yaroslava Gres.
The first UNITED24 ambassador, Andriy Shevchenko, also joined the meeting. Together with Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina will work on uniting the world’s sporting community in support of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Elina Svitolina for the active stance she has taken since the first days of the war, and emphasized how important it is to raise awareness about Ukraine.
“For the attention to Ukraine not to reduce, we must actively tell people from other countries about us. That is why UNITED24’s key goals are both fundraising and raising awareness about Ukraine and our fight for freedom," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Since the first days of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, Elina Svitolina has refused to participate in any competitions against athletes from Russia and Belarus. At the same time, Svitolina became a loud voice of Ukraine on the world stage.
“Every time I won on the court, I was happy to bring victory to my country. I have always been proud to be Ukrainian. Today, when my country is facing a horrific enemy, I will not stand aside. I will do my best to help Ukraine win its most important fight. I am honored to become part of UNITED24 and join efforts with the President of Ukraine,” Elina Svitolina noted.
A charity match featuring world No.1, Iga Świątek, is planned under the patronage of Elina Svitolina for the end of July.
During the first four weeks of UNITED24 activity, more than $52.5 million was collected to cover Ukraine’s needs.