As with the 2014 Winter Olympics, the choice of Russia as host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup had been challenged. Controversial issues have included the level of racism in Russian football and the discrimination against LGBT people in wider Russian society. Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine also caused calls for the tournament to be moved, particularly following the annexation of Crimea and support of separatists in War in Donbas. The then FIFA President Sepp Blatter declined requests for the tournament to be moved.