FRANCE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will decide whether Russian athletes will compete at the Paris Olympics, as per Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, who stated on Thursday that Russian flags shouldn’t be displayed there.
Macron believes there is a consensus on the fact that the Russian flag cannot be shown during the Paris Games. Considering that Russia has committed war crimes and deported children, the country is not welcome, he told a French publication.
Ukraine threatened to skip the Paris Olympics; however, if athletes from wartime allies Russia and Belarus compete under a neutral flag rather than national colours, it may drop the decision.
The Ukrainian side is expected to concede if the war allies compete under a neutral banner rather than their respective countries’ flags.
Macron emphasized the importance of Ukrainians attending IOC meetings on the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite Russia and Ukraine’s ongoing disputes over Moscow’s invasion, many Ukrainian sportsmen believe the current ban on competing against Russians is a “self-inflicted wound” that could harm ambitious athletes’ careers.
The Paris Olympics will begin on July 26, 2024, and end on August 11, 2024.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request to ban Russian athletes from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The IOC argues that no athlete should face discrimination based on passport possession, citing a “unifying mission” during wartime. Russia was not explicitly mentioned in the statement.
Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year, numerous cities have been destroyed, and thousands have died. Over 18 months, neither side shows signs of stopping. Russia has used Belarusian territory for attacks.
Recently, at least 16 people were killed in a Ukrainian city attack by Russia, resulting in damage to 20 stores, power wires, an office building, and an apartment building.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to announce over $1 billion in new American support during his visit to Kyiv.
Blinken’s visit coincides with concerns from Ukraine’s allies about the success of their troops in achieving their goals, while the US remains generally encouraged by Ukraine’s handling of the military crisis, particularly its air defence in capturing Russian drones.
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