Germany urges IOC to accept Russians to Olympics with caution
Germany urges IOC to accept Russians to Olympics with caution (photo: Getty Images)
The athletes from Russia and Belarus who will be allowed to participate in the Olympics should not support the war in Ukraine. World sport should continue to demonstrate full solidarity with Kyiv, stated the head of the German Ministry of the Interior Nancy Faeser.
Against the backdrop of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics under a neutral flag, Faeser called for a thorough investigation of each athlete from these countries.
"The IOC and international federations need to ensure that those Russian and Belarusian athletes who in any way support Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine or are in any way connected to the Russian government and the Russian military are consistently suspended," she said.
According to Faeser, it is absolutely unacceptable that Ukrainian athletes should be forced to compete against Russians who support Russia's aggressive war against their country.
"Ukraine and Ukrainian sport should continue to receive full support and solidarity from the world of sport," the minister emphasized.
IOC decision to allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2024 Games
Yesterday, on December 8, the International Olympic Committee admitted athletes from Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympic Games. They will compete under neutral status.
Ukraine, for its part, is considering a boycott of the Olympics if Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, our country and 34 other countries have formed a coalition that is ready to boycott the competition.
The foreign ministers of Estonia and Lithuania have already condemned the International Olympic Committee's decision to allow Russians to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games.
