Kyiv (dpa) – “The IOC is a promoter of war, murder and destruction. The IOC happily watches the Russian Federation destroy and then offers it a platform to promote genocide and encourages more killing,” wrote Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser in the Ukrainian presidential office, on Twitter. “Obviously, Russian money buying Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t have the smell of Ukrainian blood. Right, Mr. Bach?”
A little later, an IOC spokesman “strongly rejected these and other defamatory statements”. They could “not serve as a basis for a constructive discussion,” it said: “Therefore, the IOC will not comment further.”
IOC President Thomas Bach recently defended the re-admission of athletes to international competitions against harsh criticism from Ukraine. “These considerations are supported – worldwide, by a huge majority,” Bach told ZDF.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other hand, called on the IOC and Bach several times over the weekend to continue banning athletes from Russia and Belarus. Ukraine sees both countries as warring parties. “Russia must stop aggression and terror, and only then will it be possible to talk about Russia’s participation in the context of the Olympic movement,” said Zelenskyy.
The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine is planning an extraordinary general assembly for February 3 to decide on a possible Olympic boycott should the athletes from Russia and Belarus compete again.
