While Russian drones and missiles destroy Ukrainian cities daily, demolish sports schools, and kill athletes, sports officials are returning flags and a voice to those who are part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine. This is a direct betrayal of the Olympic Charter and a slap in the face to the entire civilized sporting world. This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine regarding the decisions of international sports federations to lift restrictions on representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus, UNN reports.
World sports institutions continue to surrender their moral positions. We see that more and more international federations are yielding to pressure, money, and Russian lobbying. Most recently, the international gymnastics and wrestling federations allowed representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus to compete without restrictions,
The Ministry of Youth and Sports added that a similar decision regarding Belarus was also made by the World Boxing Organization and the International Modern Pentathlon Union.
While Russian drones and missiles destroy Ukrainian cities daily, demolish sports schools, and kill our athletes, sports officials have decided that "sport is beyond politics." They are returning flags and a voice to those who are part of the Kremlin's propaganda machine. This is a direct betrayal of the Olympic Charter and a slap in the face to the entire civilized sporting world
As noted by the ministry, Ukraine does not have the right to simply turn around and walk away from international competitions.
We cannot voluntarily gift the enemy empty podiums and international platforms for their propaganda. Our strategy is to be present, to fight, and to win. Our task is to win medals, raise the Ukrainian flag, and gather the world around our anthem. Every victory of a Ukrainian athlete in the arena is the loudest proof of our resilience
Work with international partners remains systemic. Together with the governments of democratic countries and national federations, the Ministry of Youth and Sports continues to act in three directions:
- Diplomatic advocacy and legal analysis: Russian and Belarusian symbols must be isolated. Together with lawyers, they are conducting a detailed analysis of the legal aspects of the international federations' decisions regarding the return of Russians and Belarusians.
- Protection and safety of athletes in arenas: together with national federations, they are initiating a review of safety and ethical protocols at competitions. They demand the official recording of the right of Ukrainian athletes to avoid any contact with representatives of the aggressor country and its satellites, including the right to leave podiums without any sanctions for the Ukrainian side.
- Documentation of crimes: Ukraine continues to document every sports facility destroyed by Russia and every life of Ukrainian athletes taken. These facts serve as an evidentiary base to maintain the legal rear until the enemy is held accountable.
We have held this sporting defense for years; we forced the world to hide their flags and anthems. This was an unprecedented case of expelling an aggressor from the world stage. Russia's attempts to regain its influence in international federations were predictable, so our response remains systemic. Our presence at competitions, every Ukrainian medal, and a tough legal position are our basic tools for protecting the interests of our athletes and the state