EU Will Stop at Nothing to Keep Russia Out of Sports – Russian Foreign Intel
/ Go to the mediabankRussian athletes, members of the Russian national team, at a concert after the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, in Moscow’s Red Square
/ Go to the mediabank
European elites are in a panic over the IOC’s decision to lift sanctions on Russia’s Olympic Committee and athletes, and they’re plotting a full-scale counterattack, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement on Tuesday.The EU sees the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s move as a direct blow to years of Western efforts to isolate Russia from the sporting world, and they’re furious, the SVR underscored.»European bureaucrats are particularly alarmed by the prospect of full-fledged participation of athletes from Russia in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with the national flag and anthem,» the agency said.The EU intends to unleash a new round of campaign to undermine Russia’s position as a great sports power and is exploring the possibility of visa bans and new targeted restrictions for an even wider range of Russian athletes, according to the SVR.
European powers are also mulling funding cuts to the IOC itself, along with any federation that dares to let Russians compete, the SVR noted.
AnalysisRussia’s World Athletics Lawsuits are Open and Shut Cases, Chance of Victory ‘Very, Very High’Yesterday, 16:41 GMTNew visa bans targeting a wider circle of Russian athletes and sports officials are also under serious consideration, the agency pointed out.»The EU considers organizing provocations against members of Russian teams on the eve of the competition to be an effective way to ‘take the Russians out of the game.'» The message is clear: Russia’s return to global sports is unacceptable, no matter the cost, according to the SVR.»The Russophobia gripping Eurocrats has become so blinding that they appear willing to torch the very spirit of the Olympics,» the SVR press office highlighted.
WorldIOC Temporarily Restores Membership of Russian Olympic Committee7 July, 14:55 GMT
