Normalizing russia's participation in the international sport movement — the Committee on Youth and Sport condemned the IOC's decision
08 July 2026, 11:33
The Verkhovna Rada Committee of Youth and Sports issued the statement strongly condemning the decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee to temporarily lift suspension of the russian olympic committee, which had been imposed on October 12, 2023.
This decision comes at a time when the russian federation continues its daily mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, killing civilians, destroying cities, sport infrastructure, and thereby depriving Ukrainian athletes of their right to safety and to train. While Ukraine mourns the victims of yet another wave of terrorist attacks, the IOC is taking a step toward the aggressor state.
The IOC's justification rests on the claim that the russian olympic committee no longer includes sports organizations from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and allegedly conducts no activities there. However, such assurances can neither be considered verified, nor do they constitute sufficient grounds for reviewing sanctions against a state that systematically violates international law, continues its occupation of Ukrainian territories, and uses sports as a tool for state propaganda.
The facts demonstrate that russia continues to integrate the sports structures of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories into its own system, hosting sporting events there, co-opting Ukrainian children into the russian sports ecosystem, and weaponizing sports to legitimize the occupation. Such actions have not ceased; they have merely taken on different forms.
Of particular concern is that the IOC’s decision sets a dangerous precedent for the de facto normalization of the aggressor state's participation in the international sports movement without russia ending its war against Ukraine, without restoring our state’s territorial integrity, and without holding the rf accountable for its aggression and gross violations of international law.
The Olympic Charter stipulates that the goal of Olympism is to contribute to building a peaceful society based on respect for human dignity, and it strictly prohibits any form of discrimination, violence, or violation of fundamental ethical principles. The policies and actions of russia—which is waging a war of aggression, systematically violating international humanitarian law, and utilizing sports as an instrument of state policy—flagrantly contradict these values.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Youth and Sport emphasizes that the decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee extends far beyond a purely administrative matter. It serves as a political signal that could be perceived as a weakening of the aggressor state's international isolation and an undermining of trust in the principles upon which the Olympic movement has been built for decades.
"We call upon the International Olympic Committee to review its decision, ensure a substantive rather than a procedural review of the activities of the russian olympic committee, and prevent the aggressor state from returning to full participation in the international sports movement until its aggression against Ukraine ceases," the Committee stated.
Furthermore, the Committee appeals to national Olympic committees, international sports federations, the parliaments of democratic nations, and the international sporting community to consolidate efforts to safeguard the fundamental principles of Olympism.
The Committee stresses that sports cannot become a tool for justifying aggression or a means of restoring international legitimacy to a state that continues to wage war. Peace, human dignity, respect for international law, and justice must remain the unconditional values of the global sports movement.
Ukraine will continue to consistently defend these principles and fight to ensure that the Olympic flag is never used to cover up military aggression.