Lost the last remnants of conscience: Ukraine reacted to the decision of the International Paralympic Committee to reinstate the membership of Russia and Belarus
Kyiv • UNN
Ukraine considers the decision of the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee not to extend the partial suspension of the national Paralympic committees of Belarus and Russia to be shameful. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports state that this encourages Russian aggression and terror, drawing sports into politics.
Ukraine considers the decision of the General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee in Seoul, which decided not to extend the partial suspension of the national Paralympic committees of Belarus and the Russian Federation, to be shameful. This is stated in a joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports regarding the decision to reinstate the national Paralympic committees of Belarus and the Russian Federation, UNN reports.
Restrictions, particularly on the Russian Paralympic Committee, have been in place since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian invasion continues, as do Russian atrocities against Ukrainians, but the IPC General Assembly has somehow decided to change its position. In fact, the only thing that has changed is the IPC officials' loss of the last remnants of their conscience.
Moreover, such a "turnaround" is happening against the backdrop of Russia's rejection of peace and the escalation of terror against Ukrainians and provocations against other European countries. It effectively encourages Russian aggression, terror, and murder, contributing to the impunity of the Russian and Belarusian regimes at a time when the entire international community is working to increase pressure on Moscow to induce it to peace.
The IPC's decision draws international sports into politics and war propaganda, as Moscow has used sports as a propaganda tool since Soviet times. Famous Russian and Belarusian coaches and athletes openly support Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, participating in propaganda events of the Putin regime. Many "Paralympians" from Russia and Belarus directly participated in the bloody war against the Ukrainian people, becoming famous for their "heroism" and cruelty.
Ukraine calls on the entire sports world, all states, sports institutions, all athletes and coaches who have not lost their moral compass, to condemn this shameful decision and demand its change.
We appeal to Italy with a call not to allow the appearance of Russian flags, under which Ukrainians are being killed today, during competitions. Russian and Belarusian athletes and their symbols have no right to return to international sports competitions until Russia stops the genocidal war against Ukraine.
Recall
The membership of the Paralympic committees of Russia and Belarus was suspended in November 2022 amid "violations of constitutional membership obligations."