Bakhmut, in the region east of Donetsk, is currently the epicenter of fighting in Ukraine.
New Delhi:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday invited International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to visit the frontline town of Bakhmut.
Zelensky extended the invitation after the committee sought a “way” for Russians to participate in the 2024 Paris Games.
Zelensky said, “I am inviting Mr. Bach to Bakhmut so that he can see for himself that neutrality does not exist.”
“It is clear that any neutral banner of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”
Bakhmut, in the region east of Donetsk, is currently the epicenter of fighting in Ukraine.
Russian forces have been trying to take control of Bakhmut for months in what Kyiv has described as some of the bloodiest battles since the start of Russia’s invasion on February 24 last year.
Zelensky said it was “impossible not to be disappointed” by the Olympic chief’s stance.
Zelensky said, “I spoke with him more than once and never heard how he was going to save sport from war propaganda if he returned Russian athletes to international competitions.”
“We will do everything in the world to protect sport from political and any further influence of a terrorist state, which is simply inevitable when Russian athletes compete.”
Russia and its ally Belarus have been excluded from competition in most Olympic Games since the invasion of Ukraine.
But the IOC has stated that “no athlete should be prevented from competing simply because of their passport”.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Thursday cleared Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in this year’s Asian Games.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
featured video of the day
Lollapalooza artist Maiden talks about eating dosa, listens to Prateek Kuhad