On May 14, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin also called on Ukrainians to stay away from the World Cup in Russia, with his ministry reiterating the stance a day later.

"The Ukrainian Ministry for Foreign Affairs insistently advises the Ukrainian citizens not to travel to the Russian Federation for the World Cup finals, which will take place from June 14 to July 15... Staying in Russia could lead to serious threats to the Ukrainian citizens' personal safety," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that any manifestation of an affiliation with Ukraine could "provoke targeted violence from Russian fan groups most of which do not hide their hostile attitude towards the Ukrainians."

In May, the Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the recommendations and suggested everyone should come and enjoy the festival of world football.

A member of the sports committee of the Russian lower house, Dmitry Svishchev, said in May that Ukrainian fans and tourists were always welcome in Russia.

Russia's first-ever FIFA World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 arenas in 11 cities across the country. The matches will take place in Moscow, Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi and Yekaterinburg.