Ukrainian athletes advised to shun Russians and Belarusians during Paris 2024 competition.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports advised Ukrainian athletes participating in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris to avoid direct contact with representatives of Russia and Belarus. This action might lead to provocative actions in the Olympic Village or outside it. Additionally, they were asked not to communicate or discuss with individuals from these countries on social media, not to share or respond to their content. The Ukrainian athletes are also advised to keep "as much distance as possible" from Russian and Belarusian athletes, even during award ceremonies, unless it's required for compliance with the competition rules. Furthermore, Ukrainian athletes are urged to refrain from participating in press conferences, live broadcasts, interviews, and other promotional events with individual neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus before and after the competition.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in December that Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete as individual neutral athletes at this year's Paris Games, abbreviated as AIN (Athlètes Individuels Neutres). These athletes must meet specific eligibility requirements. Teams of Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed, and those actively supporting the war against Ukraine will be ineligible. Any reference to either country will not be made at the Games through the athletes' participation.
Kyiv condemned this decision, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in December that, "the IOC essentially gave Russia the green light to weaponize the Olympics." He pleaded with all partners to strongly condemn this decision because it undermines Olympic principles.
Belarus has played a significant role in Russia's war in Ukraine, with President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, allowing Russian forces to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory in early 2022. Furthermore, Russia and Belarus conduct frequent joint military drills.
The Paris Summer Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
