Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says IOC is responsible for encouraging Russia to continue its war by letting Russians to Olympics

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers the decision of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions in a neutral status to be erroneous.

Source: European Pravda, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Quote: "The Ukrainian side informed the Olympic Committee and international partners about the risks of such a decision. Belarusian and especially Russian athletes often represent sports organizations associated with the armed forces of the Russian Federation. Some of them are on active duty in the Russian military, and some of them wear symbols of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine on their sport uniforms. 

The IOC is planning to allow athletes to compete at international sports arenas who not only sympathize with the murders of Ukrainian women and children, but are likely to be directly involved in these terrible crimes," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Details: As reported, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the Kremlin would use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda warfare.

"Moscow will not be raising white neutral flags at the competitions, as the IOC suggests, but will be demonstrating the triumph of its ability to avoid responsibility for the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II," Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said.

"The members of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board who made this decision bear responsibility for encouraging Russia and Belarus to continue their armed aggression against Ukraine," the statement reads.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and Lithuania, Margus Tsahkna and Gabrielius Landsbergis, also criticised the decision of the International Olympic Committee.

Background: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus would be eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games as neutrals. Teams will not take part. Athletes are also not eligible to compete if they have committed to serving in the Belarusian or Russian armed forces or special services.

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