Lack of unified European position against aggressors in sports is unclear, says Latvian Olympic Committee president
The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) stands in solidarity with Ukraine, firmly opposing the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions, but President Raimonds Lazdiņš says the absence of a common European stance is puzzling.
In an interview with Latvian Television, Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) President Raimonds Lazdiņš stated that the LOC fully supports the Ukrainian Olympic Committee in the matter of Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in international events. The LOC strongly opposes their return, but both Olympic committees find it difficult to understand why European countries have not formed a unified position on this issue.
Lazdiņš emphasized that the situation is unclear and that joint action is needed to prevent athletes from aggressor countries from competing. He stressed that Latvia and Ukraine share the same view, but the differing stances of other European nations create confusion and hinder a collective decision. Currently, there is still no consensus in the international sports arena regarding whether and under what conditions Russian and Belarusian athletes could return to competitions.
