In a joint statement by the ministers responsible for sport, the Baltic states and Poland have firmly opposed the IOC’s push to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes back into world sport.
“We, the sports ministers of the Baltic States and Poland, condemn the efforts of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” said Piret Hartman (Estonia), Anda Caksa (Latvia), Jurgita Siugzdiniene (Lithuania) and Kamil Bortniczuk on February 2 (Poland).
Ukraine has sharply criticized the IOC’s move
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) led by President Thomas Bach recently triggered a controversy with the announcement that it wanted to open up opportunities for athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international competitions despite the war in Ukraine. This could also open the way for these neutral flag athletes to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, albeit only under a neutral flag. Ukraine has sharply criticized this move by the IOC – and is threatening an Olympic boycott.
Efforts to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes under the guise of neutrality legitimized the two countries’ political decisions and more widespread propaganda, said the letter from the ministers of the four countries bordering Russia and partly Belarus. Sport is used to distract from the illegal aggression against Ukraine.
The Baltic and Polish sports ministers further argued that a return of Russians and Belarusians could also put Ukrainian athletes in a difficult position. In competition, they may come under additional pressure when competing against athletes from Russia or Belarus, or when facing them and their fans at sporting events.