The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo wants to suspend Russian athletes from participating in the Olympics because of their affiliation with the Putin regime and Russia's aggression against Ukraine. She said this in an interview with Reuters, UNN reports.
Personally, and this is not my decision, I would prefer that they (Russian athletes) not come. I consider Putin a dictator who threatens Europe as a whole and is waging a war against Ukraine, depriving it of its right to exist as a people and as a nation. It will be very, very difficult to see this, even under a neutral flag, because we know how much emphasis Putin puts on Russians-these athletes. Even under a neutral flag.
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Hidalgo expressed the hope that Russian athletes would not participate in the Olympic Games in Paris or in the opening ceremony.
Perhaps they (Russian and Belarusian athletes - ed.) have nothing to do with it, but symbolically, they are hostages of Putin's policy and the violence he is using today to threaten Europe as a whole. Therefore, the decision of the Paralympic Movement seemed to me to be a very fair decision, and now the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has to make a decision.
At the same time, she is happy to welcome Israeli athletes, despite the war in Gaza. The mayor of Paris noted that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is not a dictator in his country, and he has not established a totalitarian regime there, unlike Putin. She also emphasized that international diplomacy hopes to push him to a ceasefire in Gaza.
For me, it is out of the question to impose sanctions on Israel in connection with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Yes, all the diplomatic work that is going on now to push Netanyahu to a ceasefire, to stop the attacks on the civilian population of Gaza, but he should not be seen as another Putin who is a dictator in his country.
Франція готує безпрецедентні заходи безпеки на церемонії відкриття Олімпіади в Парижі07.03.24, 11:49
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At its next meeting, the International Olympic Committee is to discuss the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony and make a decision on their participation.
So far, Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot participate under the flags of their countries, but they can participate as neutral athletes - without flags and anthems.