The Verkhovna Rada appeals to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations to continue the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international sports competitions until the complete cessation of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
245 people’s deputies vote for the corresponding resolution No. 15391 at a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday.
The Verkhovna Rada calls on the International Olympic Committee to “cancel the decision to restore the rights of the Russian Olympic Committee and continue its suspension until the complete cessation of the armed aggression of Russia against Ukraine, the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized state border, and the assurance of the implementation of the norms of international law.”
The Ukrainian parliament also calls on the IOC not to allow athletes, sports delegations, officials, and sports organizations of Russia and Belarus to participate in the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, and other international sports competitions and events until the end of the war. Furthermore, the Verkhovna Rada proposes that the IOC ensure an independent and objective verification of the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee and sports federations of Russia regarding any forms of cooperation with sports structures in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as separate districts of the Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, and the use of sports as a tool of state policy.