I've nothing to shake on while war remains raging in my homeland

Ahead of her return to Wimbledon next month, Ukrainian tennis favourite Elina Svitolina speaks to Lord Ashcroft about supporting her embattled country, her tears for victims of the conflict... and her refusal to acknowledge her Russian or Belarusian opponents on court

- By Lord Ashcroft

FOR the last two years, she has been the darling of the Wimbledon crowd: first for returning shortly after having a baby to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, more recently because she wept tears of despair on court after a children's hospital in her nation's capital was targeted by Russian missiles.

For even longer, as Ukraine's best-known sportswoman and, for a time, the world's No 3 women's tennis player, Elina Svitolina has earned global respect for her passionate support for her homeland since the full-scale Russian invasion three years ago.

Making her own private stand, she has refused to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents while the war remains raging in Ukraine. Now she has given an exclusive and candid interview about the war and its tragic consequences in my role as lead sponsor of a security summit in her home city of Odesa.

Next month, she will return to Wimbledon to play in this year's tournament.

No opponent or critic of Ukraine or its president is spared Elina's wrath, notably President Vladimir Putin, whom she considers "evil" for his unprovoked attack on Ukraine, and President Donald Trump for trying to humiliate Volodymyr Zelensky after inviting him to the White House three months ago. Of the Russian dictator, she says: "Of course, I feel a lot of hate towards him. For me, it is not only hate towards President Putin but also towards Russia. I feel sadness, anger, just very, very deep [emotions]."

She believes one day President Putin and his military commanders must be brought before a war crimes tribunal for their numerous atrocities, including at Bucha when hundreds of civilians were shot in cold blood and their bodies were left to decompose on the streets. "So many things happened to our country and they should be punished for that," she said firmly.