Paris Olympics 2024: Russian participation 'can't be covered up by white flag' - Ukraine president

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Ukraine president   Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to a acme  of 30 nations via video link, with UK civilization  caput   Lucy Frazer sat successful  the foregroundVolodymyr Zelensky spoke to the acme via unrecorded video link

Russian information successful the Paris 2024 Olympics "cannot beryllium covered up with unreal neutrality oregon a achromatic flag", Ukraine president Volodymr Zelensky says.

Zelensky was speaking astatine a acme of 36 nations connected Friday to sermon Russian and Belarusian athletes' information successful adjacent year's Games.

The acme was chaired by UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

A corporate connection is expected to beryllium agreed successful the coming days.

The acme was called aft the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was "exploring a pathway" for athletes from the 2 nations to vie arsenic neutrals.

That determination has been criticised amid Russia's ongoing penetration of Ukraine.

Speaking via unrecorded video link, Zelensky told the delegation: "While Russia kills and terrorises, representatives of the violent authorities person nary spot astatine sports and Olympic competitions.

"And it cannot beryllium covered up with immoderate pretended neutrality oregon a achromatic flag, due to the fact that Russia is present a state that stains everything with humor - adjacent the achromatic flag.

"It indispensable beryllium recognised. And this indispensable beryllium recognised, successful particular, astatine the level of the International Olympic Committee."

In his opening address, Zelensky told the delegation - which included ministers and elder representatives from countries including France, Germany, Poland, the United States and Canada - that 228 Ukrainian athletes and coaches had died since Russia's penetration successful February 2022.

He called for the Olympic question to beryllium "safeguarded", noting that "many Russian athletes are associated with the sports clubs of the Russian service and information authorities agencies".

"If the Olympic sports were killings and rocket strikes, past you cognize which nationalist squad would inhabit the archetypal place," helium said.

He aboriginal added: "If, God forbid, the Olympic principles are destroyed and Russian athletes are allowed to enactment successful immoderate competitions oregon the Olympic Games, it's conscionable a substance of clip earlier the violent authorities forces them to play on with the warfare propaganda."

In January, the IOC suggested Russian and Belarusian athletes could vie nether neutral flags successful Paris, saying "no jock should beryllium prevented from competing conscionable due to the fact that of their passport".

Ukraine's sports curate Vadym Guttsait has said the state could boycott the Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete.

A ample fig of different nations person already voiced their absorption to the imaginable inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

On Thursday, the IOC urged Ukraine to driblet threats of boycotting the Games successful Paris.

In a missive to Guttsait, which has been seen by the BBC, IOC president Thomas Bach said comments from Ukrainian officials suggesting allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes would beforehand the warfare are "defamatory".

"Russia has destroyed Ukrainian sporting infrastructure and stopped opportunities for Ukrainian athletes," Frazer told the summit.

"There is information present that the satellite wishes to determination connected and backmost to concern arsenic usual. However, the concern successful Ukraine has not changed since the IOC's archetypal determination past February connected banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competition.

"As agelong arsenic Putin continues his war, Russia and Belarus indispensable not beryllium allowed to vie connected the satellite signifier oregon beryllium represented astatine the Olympics."

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