Russia spoke out about the difficulties with the Olympic Truce

Olympic champion, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova admitted the possibility of a truce between Russia and Ukraine during the Olympic Games, which will be held this summer in Paris. In a conversation with Lenta.ru, the deputy, however, considered such an agreement unlikely, citing a number of obstacles to achieving it.

“Only Ukraine must do this (fulfill the ceasefire condition – approx. “Tapes.ru”), and not to say in words so that everyone understands this, the Ukrainian military understood this. Maybe the truce is not a decree for the Ukrainian military. (…) Who will monitor this truce—some kind of peacekeepers?” — Zhurova said, answering the question of whether Russia has ruled out the idea of ​​a truce with Ukraine for the duration of the 2024 Olympic Games.

At the same time, she emphasized that the initiative for a temporary truce should come not from Russia, but from a third party – in this case, from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “The IOC needs to reach out to both sides. When countries are in conflict, a third party must offer them both on equal terms [договориться о перемирии]. (…) I don’t remember the IOC making such proposals,” the parliamentarian explained.

Zhurova also recalled one of the Olympic traditions – messages on the so-called “Peace Wall”, where Olympic participants and honored guests can leave their signature with messages of peace, expressing support for the UN resolution on maintaining peace on Earth during the Olympic Games.

“The question is whether Zelensky will sign this agreement. (…) There is also a Truce Wall there, which politicians must sign. The leaders of the countries that sign it must fulfill their obligations. We are not going to the Olympics, so there is no one on our side to sign. The Ukrainian side is coming and will sign something. Apparently, this will be a tribute to tradition, nothing more,” explained Lenta.ru’s interlocutor.

In early May, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with La Tribune that he intends to discuss the so-called “Olympic truce” with his Chinese counterpart. According to Macron, during the Olympics in Paris in 2024, all world military conflicts should be paused. This idea was supported by the UN General Assembly. In response to a journalist’s question whether the initiative concerns the Russian-Ukrainian confrontation, the politician replied: “We need to try everywhere.”

Macron first announced the idea of ​​a truce during the Games in March. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov then replied that he was ready to consider the issue of a temporary truce with Kiev. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, in turn, said that he does not believe in the success of the ceasefire during the competition.

The Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.