Ukraine formed a coalition against Russia's participation in Olympics
Ukraine and 34 other countries have formed a coalition that opposes the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the Paris Olympics.
This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal on Telegram.
He noted that states that have stained themselves with the blood of Ukrainians cannot participate in the Olympics. During the full-scale war, Russians killed 340 Ukrainian athletes and coaches and damaged 343 sports facilities.
"Ukraine is determined. We have formed a powerful international coalition for fair sport that includes 35 countries. Together, we are ready to boycott the Olympic Games in Paris if Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate in the competition," Shmyhal emphasized.
The prime minister added that the coalition expects the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to resolutely remove the aggressor from the Olympics.
As a reminder, the IOC has repeatedly expressed an ambiguous position on the participation of Russians and Belarusians in sports competitions despite the war in Ukraine.
In particular, IOC President Thomas Bach supported the admission of Russia and Belarus to the Olympics in a neutral status. At the same time, he recommended that representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus return to the competition.
Ukrainian officials sharply criticized the IOC for such actions.
Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 15/08/2023
