The International Olympic Committee (IOC) maintains sanctions imposed in February 2022 against Russia and Belarus and reiterates its condemnation of the war in Ukraine in a statement released this Wednesday.
The IOC sanctioned “sole responsibility for this war”, excluding Russia and Belarus from organizing any international sporting event and upholding a ban on displaying flags, anthems or other symbols in competition.
“These sanctions were introduced in February 2022 and have been strengthened and reaffirmed by the recent Olympic summit on December 9, 2022 and remain in place,” the IOC said in a statement condemning the “senseless war.”
The IOC reiterates in its statement of its condemnation of the war in Ukraine “which has seen no end to the fighting after a year of bloodshed” that it “is a flagrant violation of the then-current Olympic Truce and the Olympic Charter”.
At the same time, the IOC reaffirms its “unshakable solidarity” with Ukrainian athletes, who, due to the war, “face indescribable difficulties day by day”, and remains committed to helping them “in every possible way”.
“We all want to see a strong Ukrainian team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan – Cortina d’Ampezzo,” the IOC said in a statement, noting that “it tripled the solidarity fund so that athletes have everything support in overcoming the enormous challenges they face in order to achieve the Olympic dream”, and “some 3,000 athletes have already benefited from the assistance that the IOC Solidarity Fund is offering through the Ukrainian Olympic Committee”.
In addition to financial assistance, this solidarity fund also covers logistical support in terms of travel, accommodation, training facilities and equipment.
The IOC states that “since the ancient Olympics, the mission has always been to promote peace through sport”, and the organization “even today remains committed to this mission of uniting the whole world in peaceful competition”.
“Peacebuilding efforts need dialogue. Competing with athletes who respect the Olympic Charter can serve as a catalyst for dialogue, which is always the first step towards achieving peace,” the IOC added.
The Olympic Games, still according to the IOC, “can neither avoid wars and conflicts” nor “combat social problems” because “this is the realm of politics”, “but they can serve as an example for a world where everyone respects the same the same rules for each other.”
“Games can inspire people to solve problems by building bridges that lead to better understanding between people. They can open the door for dialogue and peace building in a way that exclusion and separation cannot do,” the IOC believes.
The body also notes that the vast majority of the Olympic movement, including athletes, national committees and international federations, supports “unshakable solidarity with Ukraine, sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus, and a unifying and peacekeeping mission.”
The Russian military offensive into Ukraine, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).