Ukraine Focuses on Securing Supportive Countries Instead of Boycotting Paris Olympics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Ukraine has decided not to immediately declare a boycott of the 2024 Paris Olympics but will focus on securing more countries that support its stance over the next two months.

The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOCU) held an emergency general meeting on the 3rd (local time) to discuss response measures, including an Olympic boycott, regarding the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) de facto approval of Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in the Paris Olympics despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

2024 Paris Olympics, Olympic Rings [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to foreign media, NOCU has decided not to immediately choose an Olympic boycott but will concentrate on persuading more countries to support Ukraine's demand to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in the Olympics.

However, Vadym Huttsait, NOCU chairman and Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports, expressed a tough stance, saying, "We cannot compromise on the IOC's decision to approve Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in the Olympics," and added, "In my personal opinion, if our persuasion efforts fail, we must boycott the Paris Olympics."

After the IOC approved Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paris Olympics under a neutral flag on the 25th of last month, citing the majority opinion of global sports leaders, worldwide public opinion has been inflamed. While the United States and France, the host country of the Paris Olympics, supported or accepted the IOC's decision, European countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Denmark have firmly opposed it and sided with Ukraine.

The upcoming European Sports Ministers' virtual meeting on the 10th and the meeting of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) in Lausanne, Switzerland, on the 3rd of next month are expected to be critical turning points.