Putin: Those who boycott Russia are violating athletes' rights

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that countries opposing decisions to return Russian athletes to international competitions were violating rights and undermining democratic institutions. His remarks came as reactions continued to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling that allowed Russia's national ice hockey teams to return to international competition.

Canada, Denmark and Sweden were among the countries that opposed the ruling. They cited Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and security concerns stemming from ongoing geopolitical tensions. Norway, Finland, Latvia and Czechia also announced that they would not play against Russian teams.

In a speech delivered by video link, Putin said that CAS, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and international sports federations were defending the Olympic Charter and its principles by deciding to restore Russia's right to compete. In his view, some countries are not ready to meet obligations they had previously undertaken and are imposing political rather than legal restrictions on Russian sport. Putin described this as a clear violation of the law. He added that the Russian Olympic Committee should continue working to protect the interests of Russian athletes.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Russia and its close ally Belarus will be barred from the World Junior Championship, which is set to begin in Alberta next month. The Finnish city of Turku, meanwhile, said it could withdraw from hosting the 2028 World Junior Championship. CAS acknowledged the divided reactions to its Thursday ruling but reiterated that the decision was based solely on the evidence presented. The IOC and international sports bodies had banned Russia from the Olympics and international competitions after the invasion of Ukraine. In July, the IOC temporarily lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, and some federations subsequently allowed Russian athletes to compete.