Poland and the Baltic countries do not want Russian athletes at the Olympics
The announcement by the International Olympic Committee last week of the establishment of a roadmap to organize the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes under neutral flag during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, provided that they have ” actively supported the war in Ukraine,” continues to elicit negative reactions.
Poland and the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) will oppose the presence of these Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris, even under a neutral flag, said the Latvian Foreign Minister. He called the decision to allow their presence “immoral and wrong”.
“Any concession to a terrorist state is unacceptable” reacted Volodymyr Zelensky in his daily video address. “The Olympic movement and international sport in general must be protected from Russia’s usual attempts to politicize sport”, added the Ukrainian president, believing that this politicization “will inevitably mean the justification of terror”.