PACE Will Discuss Resolution to Exclude Russian and Belarusian Athletes from 2024 Olympics

During the current plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the participants will discuss a resolution regarding the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Yevgenia Kravchuk, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy and member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, announced this on her Facebook page.

In a comment to the Kyiv Post, the People's Deputy stated that the PACE Committee on Culture, Education, Media, and Sports has already approved a resolution recommending the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics.

"The committee has already approved a strong resolution with a clear call from the Parliamentary Assembly to the International Olympic Committee, recommending and urging them not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris," said Kravchuk.

"The preliminary draft of the resolution already contains strong language, so it is likely that the IOC will receive a recommendation from PACE to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes," the parliamentarian noted on her Facebook page.

In a conversation with the Kyiv Post, Kravchuk emphasized that the neutrality criteria, which the IOC has recommended, cannot withstand criticism.

"For example, such a criterion as receiving funds by athletes from the Russian and Belarusian state budgets is not taken into account. After all, 99% of athletes are trained and financed with the funds of Russia and Belarus.

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said earlier this month that athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus would be able to compete in Paris as neutrals, outside of team events.

“Mostly, they are in army clubs - CSKA, Dynamo. This is not tested enough. Athletes from these clubs participated in the qualifying championship in Qatar," explained a member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE.

The parliamentarian added that Russia continues to exploit the participation of its athletes in the Olympics for propaganda purposes.

The PACE Summer Plenary Session is being be held in Strasbourg from June 19-23.

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Julia Struck

Julia Struck is a news writer and Kyiv Post correspondent who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.