Russia will be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics, as stated by French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview from Paris broadcasted on Ukrainian television and uploaded by a Ukrainian journalist on her YouTube channel on Saturday.
The interviewer mentioned the need for a ceasefire during the Olympics, explaining that it is something that has always been expected from the Russians.
Macron stated in French that it will be requested, with a voiceover interpretation confirming his response as “Yes, we will ask for it.”
The interpreter quoted Macron as saying, “The host country is expected to align with the Olympic movement. This is a message of peace. We will also adhere to the decision of the Olympic Committee.”
The International Olympic Committee criticized Russia’s complete invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, stating that the Russian government had violated the Olympic Truce, which aims to use the power of sport to promote peace and dialogue.
The president of the Russian Olympic Committee announced that the ROC will not boycott this year’s Paris Olympics, despite the restrictions on athletes imposed by the IOC as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo stated in an interview on Wednesday that she would prefer Russians and Belarusians not to attend. Russians and Belarusians had initially been banned from competing internationally following the invasion, as Belarus has been used as a staging ground.
