Nov 5 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that countries opposing rulings to allow Russia to take part in international sport are violating the rights of both Russian athletes and democratic institutions.
Putin made his comments as sports bodies in several countries have said their national teams will not play against Russia following a decision by sport’s highest court to readmit Russian teams to international ice hockey.
The countries, including Canada, Denmark and Sweden, cited Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and, in part, safety concerns due to geopolitical tensions.
Speaking by video link to a government meeting, Putin said decisions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations to restore Russia’s right to compete were “defending the Olympic Charter and its principles”.
“But unfortunately, not all countries are prepared to honour the obligations they once made. And they continue to impose not legal, but politicised restrictions on Russian sports,” Putin said in comments posted on the Kremlin website.
“This is a clear and blatant violation of the law and court decisions and therefore of the very institutions of democracy.”
The CAS last week upheld appeals lodged by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against the International Ice Hockey Federation barring its teams from participating in events during the 2026-27 season.
Countries including Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and the Czech Republic have said they will refuse to play Russia.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia and Belarus, a close Moscow ally, would be barred from the World Junior Championship beginning next month in Alberta, while the Finnish city of Turku threatened to drop hosting duties for the 2028 World Junior Championship.
In his comments to government members, Putin said it was up to Russia’s National Olympic Committee “definitely to continue working to protect the interests of Russian athletes”.
The CAS on Thursday acknowledged the divisive reaction to its ruling in favour of Russia’s return to international ice hockey competition, but reiterated that the decision was based solely on the evidence submitted.
The IOC and international sports bodies barred Russia from Olympic and international competition after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In July, the IOC provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, and several sports federations have allowed Russian athletes to compete.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Jonathan Spicer )
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