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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decried Russia Thursday morning for violating the Olympic Truce through its military invasion of Ukraine.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government,” the statement reads. “The Olympic Truce began seven days before the start of the Olympic Games, on 4 February 2022, and ends seven days after the closing of the Paralympic Games.”
The Olympic Truce is set to expire March 20, but Vladimir Putin’s Russia is refusing to play by the IOC’s rules in their invasion of a neighboring country. Had Russia waited until after March 20 to conduct their military attack on Ukraine, the global response likely would not have been different.
In its condemnation of Russia, IOC President Thomas Bach reiterated the call for peace that was imposed on political authorities at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2022 Olympics.
“Observe your commitment to this Olympic Truce. Give peace a chance,” Bach added in the statement.
The IOC stated its deep concern for
“We need to find a solution for this as soon as possible so that the Ukrainian delegation can travel to and from the Games safely,” IPC president Andrew Parsons said. “World leaders must observe their commitment to the Olympic Truce, in particular those Member States who are a co-sponsor of the resolution.”
The Paralympic Games will be held in Beijing from March 4-13. Russia is already under a two-year ban from being represented at the Olympics because of its state-sponsored doping program.