(see ‘Paris 2024: Estonia and Latvia against…’ of 20.44) ROME, JAN 29 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed an appeal to French President Emmanuel Macron, saying it is necessary to ensure that Russia cannot use the Paris 2024 to advertise its aggression against Ukraine. In his evening video message quoted by UNIAN, Zelensky recalled that today the Russians bombed Kherson several times, causing casualties and injuries. “Under such conditions, against the background of such continuous Russian terrorist attacks on our cities, our villages, against the background of continuous Russian assaults trying not to leave a single wall whole, it is even shocking that we have to get international sports bureaucrats to refuse any support for terrorist states,” he stressed. The president said the International Olympic Committee’s efforts to bring Russian athletes back to competition and the Olympic Games are “an attempt to tell the whole world that terror can be something acceptable, that it is possible to turn a blind eye to what Russia is doing in Kherson, Kharkiv, Bakhmut and Avdiivka”. “Today I sent a letter to President Macron on this matter which we already discussed on January 24th. As we prepare for the Paris Olympics, we must be sure that Russia will not be able to use them, as well as any other international sporting event, to promote aggression or its own state chauvinism,” added Zelensky, who has already threatened a boycott of the Games by Ukraine if Russians and Belarusians are admitted to the competitions, even under a neutral flag. (HANDLE).
(ANSA)
