Russian football officials stunned delegates from other nations by attending the annual FIFA Congress in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegate — dressed in a flak jacket — sent a video message from his embattled nation.
"Unfortunately, I cannot be with you today," said Ukrainian Football Association president Andriy Pavelko, as men behind him could be seen packing sandbags around a statue.
"For over a month we have been defending our country and resisting the military aggression of the Russian Federation.
"During this period, we regularly receive sad news about the deaths of Ukrainian football community representatives.
"They are killed by the aggressor's bullets and shells, one of the biggest armies in the world.
Ukraine's ambassador to Qatar, Andrii Kuzmenko, was an observer at the congress.
He told Al Jazeera the Russian Football Union (RFU) should have been kicked out of the meeting.
"I think they have to be expelled from this body [FIFA]" Mr Kuzmenko said.
"They have perpetrated crimes, they committed terror, they violated all the norms of civilisation."
Alexey Sorokin, an advisor to the RFU, said Russian officials had "every right" to be at the congress and they were "not hiding".
"What does Russian football have to do with all this? What has Russian football done wrong?" Mr Sorokin said.
"I don't find any clause in the FIFA statutes that were broken by Russian football."
Russia's teams have been banned from all football competitions, including qualification matches for November's men's World Cup, and stripped of all rights to host international matches.
"What's happening is received with disappointment by Russian fans," Mr Sorokin said.
"The European event [Russia is no longer hosting the Champions League final] … the [national] team is not playing, that's very disappointing for Russian fans.
"And of course, we are very emotional about this."
Russia has lodged an appeal against the football sanctions at the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a hearing date yet to be set.
'Please try to come together'
FIFA president Gianni Infantino called for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"I am looking of course at Ukraine with a heavy heart," Mr Infantino told delegates.
"The last Euro [UEFA European Championship] I organised together with UEFA … the last final [2012] I was working on was in Kyiv and the last [men's] World Cup that I contributed to … as FIFA president was in Russia. The last [World Cup] final was in Moscow.
"The Russian World Cup in 2018 … was by all means a great World Cup, a great success sportingly and culturally, but obviously it did not solve the problems of the world, it did not even solve the problems in the region.
"Therefore, my plea to all of those who have some power in this world, to all of those who … [make] important political decisions in the world: please, please stop conflicts and wars. Please, for our children, for our future.
The congress hosts also came under fire from Norwegian Football Association president Lise Klaveness, who took aim at the human rights record of Qatar, which will host the men's World Cup later this year.
Ms Klaveness suggested Qatar should not have been awarded the event back in 2010.
"Human rights, equality, democracy — the core interests of football — were not in the starting XI until many years later," Ms Klaveness said in her address to congress delegates.
"These basic rights were pressured on to the field as substitutes mainly by outside voices. FIFA has addressed these issues but there is still a long way to go."
While workers' rights and human rights generally were not measured as part of Qatar's World Cup bid, such issues are now considered in the bid process.
Australia's human rights record was considered before awarding the country co-hosting rights with New Zealand for the 2023 women's World Cup.
Qatar has abolished its Kafala system for migrant workers, the only nation in the Gulf region to have done so. While earning praise from some quarters, others say the new labour laws do not go far enough.
"The migrant workers injured, or families of those who died in the build-up to the World Cup, must be cared for," Ms Klaveness said.
"FIFA, all of us, must take all necessary measures to really implement change.
"There is no room for employers who do not secure the freedom and safety of World Cup workers.
Qatar's World Cup organising committee secretary general, Hassan Al-Thawadi, expressed disappointment over Ms Klaveness's comments, giving assurances of social legacy programs, including workers' rights.
"I would like to assure the representative from the Norwegian football federation when she expressed her concerns," he said.
"Before I move on, I would like to express a disappointment. Madam president [Klaveness] visited our country and made no request for a meeting, did not attempt to contact us, and did not attempt to engage in dialogue before addressing congress today.
"We have always had our doors open. We will always continue having our doors open for anybody who wants to understand the issues, who wants to understand what it is and to educate themselves before passing any judgement."
The men's World Cup, which will run from November 21 to December 18, will be the first to be staged during the northern hemisphere winter, because of Qatar's heat.
It will be the last to host 32 nations. The event will feature 48 national teams from 2026 onwards.
Australia is clinging to the hope of filling one of only three remaining qualification spots, with a match against the UAE in Qatar on June 7.
Should the Socceroos win, a final qualification match will also be played in Qatar against Peru on June 13 or 14.
