On Wednesday, December 14, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Tomasov Bach.

In this conversation, he emphasized that the principles of the Olympic movement do not include conniving with terrorist states.

The Ukrainian president spoke about his communication during the traditional evening address.

"Any ideas on how to return Russian representatives to international competitions are ideas on how to allow those who are guilty of terror to tell their society that the world supposedly condones terror.

This is a sports indulgence.

This is exactly how it will be presented by Russian propaganda, if the International Olympic Committee deviates and allows those who represent war and nothing else to participate in sports events on an equal basis with others," the Ukrainian leader voiced his position. 

Zelensky emphasized that he does not want to understand the motives behind Thomas Bach's statement about allowing athletes from all over the country to participate in competitions, despite any international conflicts or wars.

"No one will turn a blind eye to any attempt to reduce international pressure on the source of the war.

When we receive reports like today from Kherson, where a child, a boy, was killed by yet another Russian shelling... He was eight years old... We can only say one thing: a white or any neutral flag is impossible for Russian athletes, all their flags are stained of blood," the Ukrainian president said.

It will be recalled that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling Zhan Beleniuk and the Rio 2016 gold medalist in gymnastics Oleg Vernyaev previously commented on the shameful call of the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach to return Russians and Belarusians to international sports.

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