Zelenskyy says Russian athletes at Olympics a 'manifestation of violence'

LONDON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has called for a boycott of the 2024 Paris Olympics if Russian athletes are allowed to take part, said Friday (Feb 10) their presence would be a "manifestation of violence".

Ukraine has reacted furiously to the International Olympic Committee's announcement last month that it was exploring a "pathway" to allow Russian and Belarusian competitors to take part in the Paris Games, under a neutral flag.

Kyiv fears President Vladimir Putin, whose forces will soon move into a second year of their invasion of Ukraine, will seek to gain political advantage from the participation of Russians at the Olympics next year.

IOC President Thomas Bach has described Ukraine's calls for a boycott of the Games as contrary to the "principles we stand for".

But in a video address to a virtual meeting of sports ministers from around 30 countries, including the United States, in London, Zelenskyy said: "The mere presence of representatives of the terrorist state is a manifestation of violence and lawlessness.

"And it cannot be covered up with some pretended neutrality or a white flag," Zelenskyy said.

"If the Olympic sports were killings and missile strikes, then you know which national team would occupy the first place," he added.

Zelenskyy argued that very few Russian athletes had spoken out against the war.

"There is almost no such condemnation," he said. "There are only a few isolated voices that are quickly fading away.

"If Russian athletes are allowed to participate in any competitions or the Olympic Games, it's just a matter of time before the terrorist state forces them to play along with the war propaganda," Zelenskyy added.

"Russia is now a country that stains everything with blood - even the