Paris 2024: for Volodymyr Zelensky, the presence of Russian athletes at the Olympics would be a "sign of violence and impunity"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again opposed the possible presence of Russian athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, during a meeting by videoconference with sports ministers from several countries on Friday, February 10. This possible decision would be a “sign of violence and impunity”including under a neutral banner. “VSela cannot be covered by a so-called neutrality or a white flag” he protests. The Ukrainian head of state backed up his statement by saying that “the representatives of this terrorist state have no place in sports and Olympic competitions“.

Volodymyr Zelensky added that Moscow would use the participation of Russian athletes for the purposes of “war propaganda”. “If Olympic sports were about killing and hitting with missiles, then you know which national team would be in first place”he quipped.

Threats deemed “extremely regrettable” by the IOC

According to Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, these new pressures from kyiv are perceived as “extremely regrettable” by “the vast majority” National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and international federations. Some of Ukraine’s traditional allies such as the UK and Poland have declared their support, while the US has conversely come out in favor of the Neutral Banner Compromise. As a reminder, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from most world events since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began nearly a year ago.