The decision of the International Olympic Committee to admit Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral banner to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is “errone” and “encourages” Moscow and Minsk to continue the attack against Ukraine, kyiv denounced on Saturday.
“The members of the IOC Executive Board who made this decision take responsibility for encouraging Russia and Belarus to continue their armed aggression against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
“There is no doubt that the Kremlin will use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda war,” he added in a statement.
“Moscow will not brandish white and neutral flags during competitions, as the IOC suggests, but will demonstrate the triumph of its ability to absolve itself of responsibility for the biggest armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War,” continues Ukrainian diplomacy.
The Ukrainian ministry believes that athletes, “especially Russian,” “often represent organizations associated with the armed forces of Russia” and that “some are on active duty in the Russian army.”
“The IOC plans to allow athletes to compete in international sports arenas who not only support the murders of Ukrainian women and children, but who are also probably directly involved in these crimes,” assured Ukrainian diplomacy.
Ending nine months of suspense, the IOC authorized Russian and Belarusian athletes on Friday to participate under a neutral banner in the Paris Games, but imposed strict conditions on their integration.
Only “neutral individual” athletes will be affected who have been able to overcome the qualification hurdle, do not actively support the war in Ukraine, and are not under contract with either the army or national security agencies.
Eleven of them currently meet these criteria, eight Russians and three Belarusians, said the IOC, suggesting a very thin delegation.
These conditions of participation were denounced by Russia, which deemed them “discriminatory” and going “against sporting principles”, through the voice of the Russian Minister of Sports Oleg Matytsin, quoted by the TASS press agency.
However, he indicated that Russian athletes who have obtained the right to participate in the 2024 Olympics “will probably participate”.
At the same time, around sixty Ukrainians have already qualified for the Paris Games (July 26 to August 11, 2024).
The prospect of seeing an absent or very weakened Ukrainian delegation has long worried the Olympic body, and would have made the presence of Russian athletes more politically delicate, even without an anthem or flag.
