International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry said Friday she “wasn’t aware” of FIFA head and fellow IOC member Gianni Infantino’s appearance at a meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday.
Trump’s Board of Peace, originally billed as providing international oversight of Gaza in the wake of a US-brokered ceasefire, has been embroiled in controversy since its inception. Aside from the fact that Trump invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part, Trump’s ambition to make the board into a permanent international conflict resolution body has sparked concerns it could undermine the UN.
“I wasn’t aware that we had an IOC member front and center as you just shared with me. So I don’t really have much to say about it,” Coventry told a press conference at the Winter Olympics, according to AFP.
“Now that you guys made us aware of it, we will go back and have a look at it,” she said.
“The IOC Charter is very clear what it expects of its members. We will go and research into the alleged signing of documents.”
The IOC is an apolitical organization – and its charter also includes a commitment for its members to “always act independently of commercial and political interests as well as of any racial or religious consideration.”
It is this commitment to political neutrality that justified the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games which has caused international controversy.
Also on Friday, Czechia joined Ukraine in pledging to boycott the opening ceremony as a result.
Infantino, however, is a close ally of Trump and frequent visitor to his personal residence in Mar-a-Lago.
After Trump was snubbed by the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize committee, Infantino created a FIFA Peace Prize to honor what Trump sees as his prowess in global conflict resolution.
On Feb. 2, Infantino called for an end to the ban on Russian athletes and officials from participating in international sporting events.