Europeans are obstructing Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation in international competitions.
On Tuesday, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov accused European countries of ignoring the demands of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which requires written guarantees that all athletes, including Russians and Belarusians, will be allowed to compete.
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“Europeans continue to put obstacles in our way. The European Union (EU) either denies us visas or organizes provocations. We are fighting this alongside the Foreign Ministry and the IOC… They are now demanding that a country seeking to host a championship provide written guarantees that all athletes will be admitted,” he said.
“The Europeans have started falling into the trap, meaning they are now obligated to admit Russians and Belarusians and, as the saying goes, they don’t want to,” Degtyaryov stressed during a meeting at the Kremlin with President Vladimir Putin.
Without naming them, the minister was referring to the three gymnasts who were denied visas to compete at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They included reigning European and world champion Angelina Melnikova, as well as Anna Kalmykova and Victoria Listunova.
If you somehow missed Angelina #Melnikova at the European Gymnastics Championships… here’s your sign to watch her! 🇷🇺
A six-time #EuropeanChampion and pure joy to watch 🥇
Isn’t she absolutely incredible? https://t.co/JAFfldvcd4 pic.twitter.com/SNZg5f2vZV
— Russian Embassy in South Africa 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) August 17, 2026
Moscow has undertaken extensive diplomatic and legal efforts to resume participation in international competitions from which Russia has been banned since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.
“In a year and a half, we have held more than 170 international meetings and made 32 visits to 17 countries… As a result, the Russian Olympic Committee was reinstated by the IOC, and all recommendations to implement discriminatory measures were canceled,” he said.
The Russian national anthem sounded again after several years during the 14th Winter Paralympic Games in Milan. According to Degtyaryov, it was played 300 times at various international competitions throughout this year.
“We are preparing for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, which will take place in November. Young athletes will be able to wear the national uniform and carry the flag. We have begun training for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles,” he said.
Putin called for tighter financial oversight to prevent the budget from being spent on bureaucratic expenses rather than meeting the needs of sports federations.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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