President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky invited the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, to Bakhmut to see that there is no neutrality when such a war is going on.
“Any neutral banner of Russian athletes is stained with blood. It is impossible not to be disappointed by the statements of the current head of the IOC. I spoke to him several times and never heard how he was going to protect sports from war propaganda if he returned Russian athletes to international competitions. We will do. everything for the world to protect sport from the political and any other influence of a terrorist state, which is simply inevitable if Russian athletes participate in competitions. And even more so – in the Paris Olympics.
Ukrainian athletes are forced to defend the lives of their loved ones and the freedom of our people from Russian aggression. Russian blows claimed the lives of hundreds and hundreds of Ukrainians and Ukrainian women who could enrich world sport with their talent. I invite Mr. Bach to Bakhmut so that he can see with his own eyes that neutrality does not exist,” Zelensky said.
