French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday dismissed the possibility of placing a Russian flag at the 2024 Olympics in Paris due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, pointing to “war crimes” committed by the Putin regime.
“Obviously, there cannot be a Russian flag at the Paris Games, I think there is a consensus on this matter,” he said in an interview with the French newspaper L’Equipe, stressing that “Russia as a country does not belong at the same time.” when it committed war crimes and deported children.”
Answering a question about the possible presence of individual Russian athletes, Macron stressed that this is a decision that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must make.
“I hope this is a conscious decision of the Olympic world (…) it is not up to the host country to decide what the IOC should do (…) I have full confidence in Thomas Bach,” he said of the IOC president.
The French President also expressed his desire that “Ukrainians be involved in this reflection.”
“The real question that the Olympic world will have to decide is what place to give to these Russian athletes who have sometimes trained all their lives and who can also become victims of this regime,” he said.
As for how to distinguish between Russian athletes who are accomplices of the regime and victims of the regime, Macron said it was up to the Olympic world to decide.
“This is a real issue and this is where the Olympic world should, in all conscience, speak its mind and clarify guarantees,” he said.
The Russian military offensive launched on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine has caused, according to the latest UN data, the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The Russian invasion, justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for the sake of Russia’s security, was condemned by the international community as a whole, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing political and political forces on Russia. economic sanctions.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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