Key facts
- The IOC provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee.
- Ukraine's Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi condemned the decision, calling it a "primitive legal trick."
- Ministers from nine European countries urged the EU to cut Olympic funding.
- Russia has used international sport for propaganda despite diplomatic isolation.
- The IOC's decision has led other sports federations to relax bans on Russian athletes.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine. Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi stated that the IOC is "effectively functioning as a pressure release valve" for Russia and that the decision was a "primitive legal trick" to circumvent sanctions.
The IOC's decision came after the Russian committee removed regional sports organizations from Russia-occupied Ukrainian territories from its membership. However, Bidnyi argued that this was a deliberate attempt to ignore reality and damage the IOC's credibility. Moscow has historically used international sport to maintain influence despite diplomatic isolation.
Several European sport ministers have also reacted with anger. Ministers from Sweden, Estonia, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Finland, and Denmark have called for the EU to cut funding for the Olympics. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal emphasized that sport and politics are inseparable, with Russia using sports as a tool for state propaganda.
The IOC has not yet decided on the use of the Russian flag and anthem at future events. However, Bidnyi noted that the IOC's decision has already prompted other sports governing bodies, such as the International Handball Federation, to relax their own bans on Russian athletes, making Ukraine's diplomatic efforts more challenging.