The issue of the participation of Russian athletes in international tournaments was raised at a meeting of relevant EU sports ministers, which took place on May 15–16 in Brussels. It is reported by RBC.
As stated in the message following the results of the EU Council for Education, Youth, Culture and Sports, a number of ministers during the meeting expressed solidarity with Ukraine and “their strong opposition to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in major international sports tournaments, such as the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris”. The ministers of which specific countries opposed the communiqué did not specify.
Jakob Forssmed, sports minister of Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency, said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should reconsider its position on allowing Russians to the Olympics. In particular, he believes that the IOC should be more careful about the admission of this or that athlete and not allow them to “represent Russia in any form” at the Games.
On March 28, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to compete in international competitions, but only under a neutral flag. The possibility of admission does not apply to athletes participating in team sports, as well as to those athletes who actively support the military operation in Ukraine and are related to the armies of the two countries and other law enforcement agencies. In this case, the final decision on the admission of athletes will be made by the international federations.
Source: Rosbalt
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