Ukraine's national motorsport authority, the Federation Automobile de Ukraine (FAU), has urged FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to impose sanctions on its Russian counterpart, the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF). This call comes as the RAF has opened offices in occupied regions of Ukraine, specifically in Crimea, Sevastopol, and the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, which are recognized as sovereign Ukrainian territory by the United Nations.

The FAU's appeal follows the FIA's recent decision to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors in motorsport, a move that has sparked outrage among Ukrainian officials. In a statement, the FAU expressed its discontent with what it termed the FIA's prolonged inaction, stating:

The FAU has already appealed to the FIA senate and FIA ethics committee, but has received no reaction or reply. We have lodged a case with the FIA's international court of appeal.

FAU president Oleksander Feldman has personally addressed Ben Sulayem, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Feldman stated, "Such short-sighted and counterproductive inaction is unbecoming of representatives of a global governing body."

He warned that this situation could lead to catastrophic consequences for the FIA's global standing and described the current circumstances as a dangerous precedent that could lead to chaos and jeopardize the FIA's future as an institution.