Chisinau will host the European Weightlifting Championship between April 13 and 21. The Embassy of Ukraine issued a statement criticizing the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the competition.
Ukrainian diplomats reminded the public that, by March 2025, Russian troops had killed 591 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, taken 22 hostages, and reported 11 as missing. Officials also reported that Russian attacks damaged or destroyed 725 sports facilities, including 17 Olympic, Paralympic, and Deaflympic training bases (editor’s note: for athletes with hearing impairments).
“For decades, Russia has used sports as a tool for propaganda. Ten of the 15 Russian athletes who competed under a neutral flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics either publicly supported the war or had ties to the military. Russian sports are not separate from the state—they serve as instruments to justify and incite aggression. Those who claim that sport should stay out of politics must also acknowledge that Russia uses sport as a political weapon,” stated representatives of Ukraine’s Embassy in Moldova.
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According to the officials, Russia should have no place in international sports until it stops committing atrocities against Ukraine.
The European Weightlifting Federation announced that 19 “neutral” athletes will participate in the championship in Chisinau. Most of them are Russian or Belarusian athletes.
