Purga: Allowing Russians to compete discredits Olympic movement
Estonia, together with like-minded countries, will send a joint letter to the European Commission proposing to cut Erasmus+ funding to sports organizations that allow Russian athletes to compete, according to Estonia's Minister of Culture Heidy Purga.
Estonia is preparing a joint letter to the European Commission, along with other like-minded states, proposing to withhold Erasmus+ programme funding from sports organizations that permit Russian athletes to participate in competitions, announced Estonian Minister of Culture Heidy Purga at a government press conference on Wednesday.
The move comes in response to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board's decision on July 7 to lift the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee. However, international sports federations retain the right to decide individually whether and under what conditions to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Purga noted that the total Erasmus+ budget across all areas is 90 million euros, and next year it will exceed 110 million euros. She emphasized that the initiative is not about punishment but about sending a clear signal. "We want to draw attention to the mistake made and make international sports organizations seriously consider the consequences of their decisions at a time when Russia continues its aggressive war against Ukraine," the minister said.
The letter has already been sent to European partners, and Estonia is awaiting responses before jointly presenting the proposal to European Commissioner Glenn Mikkallef. The proposal includes excluding not only the IOC but also the International Fencing Federation and the International Swimming Federation from EU funding programmes.
The Estonian Olympic Committee condemned the IOC Executive Board's decision, stating that it discredits the Olympic movement.
