“It is impossible to separate sport from war,” Tsahkna stressed. “In 2022, the IOC barred Russia and Belarus from participating in the Olympic Games, clearly condemning Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. In 2023, the IOC issued recommendations to international sports federations regarding the participation of athletes holding Russian and Belarusian passports. Despite the fact that Russia’s war of aggression has now entered its fifth year, the IOC has chosen to ignore this reality.”
“Its decision to yield to Russian pressure at a time when the aggressor shows not the slightest willingness to seek peace, but instead – as recent days have demonstrated – is intensifying missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and civilians, sends a clear message: in the eyes of the IOC, the aggressor state bears no responsibility, and killing another country’s athletes and committing war crimes are somehow considered acceptable.”
He added that more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression. “This figure does not include the thousands of amateur athletes and young talents whose Olympic dreams will never be realised because of Russia’s aggression. Ukrainian athletes train to the sound of air raid sirens, in bomb shelters, or fight for their country on the front line. Many have lost family members and loved ones. Yet the IOC turns a blind eye to all of this, as if Russia’s crimes had suddenly ceased to exist.”
“The International Olympic Committee should stand for unity, peace and cooperation. Russia’s return to international sport undermines all of these principles. Instead of looking for ways to restore relations with the aggressor state, cultural and sporting organisations should focus on ensuring that Russia is held accountable for its crimes. Shaking hands with the aggressor will not bring peace – it will only invite further aggression.”
