The presence of Russian athletes at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, even under a neutral flag, would be “a sign of violence and impunity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.
“While Russia is killing and terrorizing, representatives of this terrorist state have no place in sports and Olympic competitions,” Zelensky said during a video conference with sports ministers of several countries.
For Zelensky, “the very presence of representatives of a terrorist state is a manifestation of violence and impunity,” which “cannot be covered up with alleged neutrality or a white flag.”
Ukraine is categorically against the possible presence of Russians and Belarusians in Paris 2024, as planned, namely by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and threatens to boycott the competition.
IOC President Thomas Bach released this Friday a letter dated January 31, in which Ukrainians take a position that, he says, is contrary to the foundations of the Olympic movement.
For Bach, these threats and pressure from Kyiv are “extremely regrettable,” a criticism shared by the “overwhelming majority” of national Olympic committees and international sports federations.
Ukraine’s position enjoys the support of Kyiv’s traditional allies, such as Britain and Poland. In the opposite direction, the US favored a neutral flag compromise.
Zelenskiy said this Friday that Moscow wants to use the participation of Russian athletes for “war propaganda”.
“If the Olympic sports were all about killing or hitting with rockets, you already know which national team would take first place,” he joked.
Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from most sporting events.
At the end of January, the IOC proposed a roadmap for the return of Russian athletes under a neutral flag, on the condition that “they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.”
French President Emanuel Macron, whose country will host the Games in 2024, said he would perform in person “in the summer”.