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“Since February, 184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia’s actions,” Zelenskyi said. “One cannot remain in a neutral position when peaceful life is destroyed at its very foundations and universal human values are ignored.”
“The silence of athletes, coaches, officials allowed aggression, but Russia uses sports for its propaganda purposes,” said the Ukrainian president.
“The only fair response to these actions is the complete isolation of athletes from a terrorist state. This applies to all international competitions.”
Also, Zelensky called on the IOC to contribute to rebuilding the sports infrastructure of Ukraine, which has been destroyed since the Russian invasion on February 24.
Last Friday, the IOC started discussions on allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competitions again, despite the continuation of hostilities in Ukraine.
At the summit, the IOC supported the proposal of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) “to promote the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in competitions, respecting the Olympic Charter and maintaining the sanctions applicable to the flag, anthem, colors and other identification signs of Russia and Belarus in competitions”.
