“I have particularly insisted that Russian athletes should not participate in the Paris Olympic Games”Zelensky wrote on his Telegram account at the end of his conversation with Macron.
Russia invaded Ukraine from its territory and from Belarus on February 24, 2022, three days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
That attack violated the Olympic Truce, which applies from one week before the start of the event to one week after the end of the Paralympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) quickly sanctioned Moscow and Minsk and since then no international sporting event has been organized in either of these two countries. Nor is the exhibition of any of its national symbols allowed in international competitions.
In his New Year’s message, the president of the IOC Thomas Bach indicated that the sports sanctions would be extended during 2023.
“These sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments must be maintained and will be firmly maintained,” said Bach, reiterating “the full commitment of the IOC and the whole of the Olympic movement in favor of this solidarity.”
In mid-December, Zelensky called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be “completely isolated” from any international competition.
The Ukrainian president was also opposed to the proposal of the United States Olympic Committee that athletes from those two countries can participate in the Paris Games on the condition that they do not wear their national colors.
Source: Ambito
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