Join 10,000+ Kyiv Independent members todaySupport our reporting
Friday, March 24, 2023

Estonian Prime Minister calls to strengthen Russia’s isolation over Olympics

by The Kyiv Independent news deskJanuary 29, 2023 2:49 pm
Share

Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas criticized the Olympic Committee’s suggestion to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, calling it “politically and morally wrong.”

“Sport is a tool in Russia’s propaganda machine, ignoring that means siding with aggression,” she said. It's “time to strengthen isolation, not give in to Russia.”

According to German media outlet Der Spiegel, Thomas Bach, the Olympic Committee’s President, said on Jan. 28 that Russians and Belarusians could perform under a neutral flag at the Olympics 2024, as “the mission of the IOC is to bring together athletes from all over the world.”

The IOC said that it would prolong its sanctions against Russia and Belarus, which include a ban on national symbols and the invitation of government officials, but will not prevent athletes from participating “just because of their passports."

“A pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored,” the IOC statement read.

President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the Committee’s statement.

“There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on,” Zelensky said.

“And we know how often tyrannies try to use sports for their ideological interests. It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”

The Kyiv Independent news desk
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Take part in something bigger
Imagining what it will be like after Ukraine wins keeps me going: partnering with Ukrainian businesses and scientists, organizing investment events and hosting our international colleagues in Kyiv. But our fight is far from over. Join our ranks.
Daryna Shevchenko, chief executive officer
visamasterCardpaypal