Lithuania and Estonia condemn IOC's decision to allow Russians to participate in 2024 Olympics

The foreign ministers of Estonia and Lithuania, Margus Tsahkna and Gabrielius Landsbergis, have criticised the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow the Russians to participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris as neutrals, as "this is against everything the Olympics should stand for".

Source: Tsahkna and Landsbergis on Twitter (Х), as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Estonian Foreign Minister said allowing Russian athletes to participate in the Olympic Games without a flag "will not wash away the blood on their hands".

"The IOC decision goes against everything Olympism is about," he believes.

Allowing Russian athletes participate in the Olympics without a flag will not wash away the blood on their hands.#IOC decision goes against everything Olympism is about.

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) December 8, 2023

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister noted that Russia "enlists sportsmen and women into its genocidal army".

"This is not neutrality, this is against everything the Olympics should stand for," Landsbergis added.

Russia enlists sportsmen and women into its genocidal army. This is not neutrality, this is against everything the Olympics should stand for.

— Gabrielius Landsbergis🇱🇹 (@GLandsbergis) December 8, 2023

Background:

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus would be eligible to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games as neutrals. Teams will not take part. Athletes are also not eligible to compete if they have committed to serving in the Belarusian or Russian armed forces or special services.
• Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Ukraine’s partners to condemn the IOC’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in the 2024 Olympics as neutrals, calling it shameful.

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