President Vladimir Putin noted on Thursday that Russia has recognized the potential use of the Olympics as a means of political pressure and ethnic discrimination.
“The Games can serve as a tool for exerting political pressure on individuals who are not involved in politics, and can also facilitate severe ethnic discrimination,” stated Putin.
The International Olympic Committee recently barred the Russian Olympic Committee for acknowledging regional bodies in four territories that Russia claims to have annexed from Ukraine.
While the IOC announced that the Olympic committees of Russia and Belarus won’t receive an official invitation to the Paris Games this month like other nations, a decision regarding their participation will be determined at a later date.
