The president of the Ukrainian Olympic Games has urged Ukrainian athletes not to have any contact with Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Paris Games in July and August.
Ukraine threatened to boycott the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee decided that Russians and Belarusians who did not openly support the invasion of Ukraine and had no military ties could compete as neutral nations.
Kyiv has now reluctantly chosen to participate.
But any contact with “representatives of the aggressor country” inside or outside Olympic venues is discouraged, according to advice issued on Thursday. According to the “Kyiv Independent” report, this is to avoid possible “provocations”.
Ukrainian athletes should also not participate in discussions on social media with Russian and Belarusian Olympians, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee said.
At the awards ceremony, Ukrainians were urged to distance themselves from Russians or Belarusians and avoid sharing photos or videos.
Ukrainian athletes should also avoid joint press conferences, interviews and live broadcasts unless directly related to competition.
In a further suggestion, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee wants its athletes to report violations of neutrality requirements by Russians and Belarusians.
Ukraine has been fending off Russian aggression for more than two years. Belarus’s authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko supported Russia in the war and allowed Russian soldiers to invade neighboring Ukraine from Belarus.
The Summer Olympics are scheduled to be held in the French capital from July 26 to August 11.
