Kuleba calls on IOC not to conceal Russian atrocities ‘with white flags’
The Olympic Games are to be held in Paris (Photo:REUTERS/Benoit Tessier)
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has appealed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Twitter on Feb. 3 over the possibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to participate in the Olympics.
He noted that Russia has killed 231 Ukrainian sportspersons and trainers in the past year.
"Since last year, 231 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by the Russians, with another 15 wounded, 28 detained, and four missing. This genocidal war is ordered by Putin, but carried out by regular Russians. The IOC must stop trying to conceal Russian crimes with white flags," Kuleba said.
Earlier, the IOC supposed it is ready to welcome Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in Olympics with some restrictions applied, in particular if they will compete in a neutral capacity.
On Jan. 27, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, claimed that he wanted "to bring together athletes from all over the world", in particular Russians, at the 2024 Olympics, the German newspaper Der Spiegel wrote.
"It is not in line with the values and mission of the Olympic Charter to exclude athletes because of their passport," Bach said.
Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait doesn't rule out Ukraine will boycott the Olympic Games if Russian and Belarusian sportspersons are allowed to compete there
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