State Duma Deputy Svetlana Zhurova said that the statements of public figures in Ukraine could eventually lead to Ukrainian athletes being left alone and having to compete with themselves. Write about this RIA Novosti.
Previously, the head of the Ukrainian Football Federation (UAF), Andrei Shevchenko, called for countries that support Russia in the conflict to be excluded from participating in the 2026 Olympic Games.
“I think his statement needs to be disseminated as widely as possible so that these countries can see what he said. Everyone is tired of these political manipulations,” Zhurova complained.
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According to this deputy minister, if the Ukrainian side “wants to exclude China, Brazil, India and almost all of Africa, Ukraine will simply compete alone.” Zhurova summarizes: Nowadays, more and more countries, on the contrary, want to be friends with Russia.
Previously, Shevchenko gave advice to PSG's Ukrainian defender Ilya Zabarny of France on how to communicate with Russia's Matvey Safonov. He asked his compatriots to be careful when interacting with the goalkeeper.
The Olympic Games will be held in Italy in 2026 from February 6 to 22. Three Russians have received official invitations from the IOC to participate in the tournament: figure skaters Pyotr Gumennik and Adelia Petrosyan, performing in single skating, as well as ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov.
