Putin hints that Moscow will not accept Macron's "Olympic truce" idea

At a press conference during his visit to China on 17 May, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin intimated that Russia would reject the initiative of an Olympic truce offered by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Source: Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti citing Putin, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Putin stated that he believes Olympic ideals to be "very correct", particularly the Olympic truce, but quickly added that "today's international sports officials violate the principles of the Olympic Charter and politicise sports, which is unacceptable".

Furthermore, Putin lamented that Russian athletes were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games under the Russian flag and national anthem, at the same time as Moscow was asked to follow "the rules dictated by the West".

"Is this consistent with some fundamental justice principles? Not at all. They violate the rules themselves, and we are obligated to comply. Dear friends, we won't get very far like this. No one has ever come to an agreement on such matters in this way," the Kremlin ruler concluded.

In April, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a proposal to observe a ceasefire in the world’s major conflicts – including the war in Ukraine – during the Olympic Games, and he is counting on assistance from China's leader in this regard.

Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he did not believe Macron's concept could be implemented because Russia would not honour its promises. He recently reiterated his viewpoint in an interview with Ukrainian journalists.

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