Ever since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, the relations between the two countries have only deteriorated. Their issues have percolated into every department, and sports happens to take the piece of cake in terms of their biggest conflict of interest. The Olympics is the cherry on top. The decision stands that Russia and Belarus will be competing in the Olympics under a neutral flag, and Ukraine will continue its ban on their athletes. Amidst this situation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes a plea to the IOC one more time to reconsider admitting Russia for next year’s Olympics in Paris.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently visited London and Brussels to meet and greet with different world leaders regarding their situation. When there, he addressed Russia’s inclusion in the Olympics under a neutral flag and asked everyone to support him in his plea to IOC in overturning their decision.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is firm wishes to not allow Russian athletes in the Olympics

“Terror and the Olympics are two opposite things, they cannot be mixed”, said Zelenskyy at the meeting as per a Marca article. Given what Ukraine has been through in the past year or so, it is clear what their opinion about Russia stands today. Zelenskyy was candidly explaining how letting Russia play at the Olympics, even under a neutral flag, could mean mixing “Terror” with sports.

He continued, “Russia is trying to capture any kind of attention from the world to make war propaganda. Russia’s participation cannot be whitewashed with neutrality or a white flag”. Russia has previously competed at the Olympics as ROC, Russia Olympic Committee, where players played under a white neutral flag. The IOC intends to keep it the same way this time as well.

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While there was much fog, during the war, about whether Russia and Belarus will participate in any sporting event, a decision by IOC came about earlier this year. After initially putting sanctions on them, the IOC recommendations on 28th March 2023 allowed “Athletes with a Russian or a Belarusian passport” to “compete only as Individual Neutral Athletes”.

The effects of letting Russia and Belarus in the Olympics

The decision created a ripple effect around the world, and Ukraine took the toughest stance on its own athletes owing to the decision. In March itself, Ukraine put a ban on its own athletes from participating in the Olympics, reasoning that they won’t share any stage with the Russian or Belarusian athletes. Even though the IOC chief Thomas Bach recently requested them to reconsider, Ukraine is yet to allow their own athletes.

Now, with President Zelenskyy asking the IOC in turn, to not allow Russian athletes at any cost, they are clearly at loggerheads with each other. With a year left for the Paris Olympics 2024, whether Ukraine and Russia will both compete or will one miss out at the cost of another, remains to be seen for now.

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