Lifting Russian athletes ban only helps Putin, Ukraine tells IOC
Ukraine’s sports minister criticizes the International Olympic Committee for provisionally lifting the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee, arguing it undermines international pressure on Russia.
Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi has slammed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for provisionally lifting the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, which had been in place since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. In an interview, Bidnyi accused the IOC of “effectively functioning as a pressure release valve” for Russia.
Bidnyi said he could not see any reason for the decision now and that it undermines the collective international pressure against the aggressor. “It’s not a very honorable role for this organization,” he added.
The IOC stated that the reversal does not change its condemnation of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The ban was relaxed because the Russian committee removed regional sports organizations from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories from its membership, the original reason for the sanctions. However, Bidnyi said the IOC fell for a “primitive legal trick” — Russia simply restructured its Olympic committee to circumvent the ban. He believes the IOC knowingly ignores reality, completely ruining its credibility.
European sports ministers have reacted angrily. Ministers from nine countries — Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Finland, and Denmark — called for the EU to cut funding for the Olympics. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that sport and politics cannot be separated, as Russia continues to use sport as state propaganda. “A return to business as usual would send the wrong message… It would disregard the suffering of the Ukrainian people and risk normalizing Russia’s aggression,” Michal said.
The IOC has not yet decided whether the Russian flag and anthem will be allowed at future Games, including the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Bidnyi noted that the IOC’s decision has already encouraged other bodies, like the International Handball Federation, to ease bans on Russian athletes. “Our diplomatic work became much more difficult,” he concluded.
