The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach on December 14, 2022. He informed him about the killed Ukrainian athletes during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source: The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed disappointment with the presence of the president of the Russian Olympic Committee at the IOC summit on November 9, 2022, and the intention to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions under a neutral flag.
“Since February 2022, 184 Ukrainian athletes have died as a result of Russia’s actions. You cannot try to be neutral when the foundations of peaceful life are being destroyed and universal human values are being ignored,” the President of Ukraine said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the silence of athletes, coaches and officials condones aggression, and Russia uses sports for propaganda purposes.
“The fair answer for a terrorist country can only be complete isolation in the international arena. In particular, this applies to international sports events,” the President emphasized.
See also: 154 Ukrainian athletes and coaches died due to Russia’s war against Ukraine
