UK to host 30-nation summit over the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at Paris Olympics next year – after the IOC stated it was open to them competing as neutrals regardless of the battle of Ukraine
- Ukraine are threatening to boycott the 2024 Olympic Games as a type of protest
- Athletes livid that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete as neutrals
- IOC boss Thomas Bach wrote a letter, seen by Sportsmail, to a Ukrainian minister
The Government will maintain a summit of 30 nations on Friday in a bid to get Russians banned from next year’s Olympics.
New tradition secretary Lucy Frazer will chair the assembly to ‘coordinate a global response’ after the International Olympic Committee opened the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris as neutrals regardless of the battle of Ukraine.
Representatives from USA, Canada, France, Germany and Poland are amongst these attending, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to give a stay opening handle by way of video link.
The summit comes after international locations together with Ukraine and Poland threatened to boycott Paris 2024 if Russians are allowed to participate.
Frazer stated: ‘President Zelenskyy advised the UK in Parliament this week of the struggling nonetheless being felt by many Ukrainians. As he did so, the IOC was persevering with to ignore the worldwide allies stepping up their efforts for peace and disrespect how the Olympics will give Putin the good platform to promote Russia and legitimise his unlawful battle.
Olympic chief Thomas Bach has been criticised in a joint-statement from Ukrainian athletes
‘We’re approaching a year since this barbaric invasion started. We should urge the IOC to present that the Olympic values imply one thing.
‘We should clarify there are penalties to this unlawful invasion. We can’t enable Russian athletes to line up alongside Team GB and everybody else on the world stage.’
On Thursday, Ukrainian athletes blasted IOC president Thomas Bach after it emerged he wrote to them urging them to drop their threats of a boycott.
In a letter seen by Sportsmail, IOC president Bach advised Ukraine’s sports activities minister Vadym Guttsait, who can be the head of the nation’s nationwide Olympic committee, that their risk to boycott and try to get different nations to do the similar was ‘extraordinarily regrettable’.
Bach additionally warned Guttsait that boycotting is a ‘violation of the Olympic constitution’, one thing which may end result in a rustic being suspended by the IOC.
However, in an announcement on Thursday, Ukrainian athletes responded: ‘The IOC continues to be on the incorrect facet of historical past and their letter is additional proof of the energy Russia has over the organisation and the Olympic motion.
‘In the letter, the IOC advised Ukraine that threatening to boycott the Olympic Games could be a violation of the Olympic constitution and would end result in a sanction. The IOC’s inverted stance in direction of the aggressor and the sufferer of this battle flouts the Olympic constitution and undermines peace.
‘Russia’s battle of aggression has price a whole lot of hundreds of lives, destroyed infrastructure, threatened the stability of the world meals provide, and risked nuclear disaster.
‘By welcoming Russian athletes again to the Olympic Games, the IOC is rewarding Russia’s actions. By threatening to punish the NOC of Ukraine for declining to compete in opposition to Russia at the Olympic Games, the IOC is denying Ukraine’s proper to sovereignty.
‘The IOC is rewarding Putin’s aggression whereas the dying and destruction of his victims are being ignored. The IOC should select a facet in this battle.’
In a letter to Ukraine’s sports activities minister Vadym Guttsait (pictured) – which has been seen by Sportsmail – Bach urged the nation not to boycott the 2024 Games in Paris over Russian and Belarusian athletes holding the potential to give you the chance to return to competitors as neutrals