Olympic funding questioned by nine EU nations over Russia readmission
Summary
Nine European countries have asked the European Union to stop funding sports groups like the International Olympic Committee (IOC) because these groups allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete again. The countries argue this goes against supporting Ukraine, as Ukrainian athletes face difficulties due to the war with Russia.Key Facts
- The nine countries are Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Sweden.
- They sent a letter to European Commissioner Glenn Micallef asking to cut EU funding to the IOC, World Aquatics, and the International Fencing Federation.
- The funding in question includes programs like Erasmus+ which support sports development in Europe.
- The IOC lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee on July 7, allowing Russian athletes to return to competition.
- Ukrainian athletes are struggling due to displacement, damaged facilities, and military service caused by the war.
- The nine nations want these sports bodies excluded from EU financial programs and less involved in EU sports discussions.
- They stated sport cannot be separated from politics when there is ongoing war and loss of life.
- This move may create conflict between European governments and international sports organizations ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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