Zelenskyy writes to Macron about Olympics
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron with a letter about the possibility of Russian athletes being allowed to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Source: President Zelenskyy’s nightly video address
Quote: "The International Olympic Committee's attempt to get Russian athletes back to compete and participate in the Olympics is an attempt to tell the world that terror can allegedly be something acceptable. As if it is possible to turn a blind eye on what Russia is doing to Kherson, to Kharkiv, to Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
Today, I sent a letter to Mr. President Macron about this very issue following up on our conversation on 24 January.
As we prepare for the Paris Olympics, we must be sure that Russia will not be able to use this or any other international sporting event to promote aggression or its state chauvinism."
Details: Zelensky noted that "it is even shocking that we have to convince international sport bureaucrats to refuse any support for the terrorist state" against the background of constant Russian terrorist attacks and assaults.
"In the first half of the 20th century, too many mistakes were made in Europe that led to horrific tragedies. There was also a major Olympic mistake. The Olympic movement and terrorist states should definitely not intersect," the president emphasised.
Background:
- On 27 January, Zelenskyy announced the beginning of a Marathon of Honesty, which will be aimed at cleansing hypocrisy from the international Olympic leadership and preventing any attempts to bring representatives of Russia back into international sport.
- Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), is willing to "explore the possibility" of allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports, even though this could lead to a boycott of the competition by Ukraine.
- On 28 January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a letter to the presidents of the world's leading sport federations, urging them to make up their minds about the International Olympic Committee's decision to reinstate Russian athletes in international competitions.
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