A Ukrainian athlete who called for peace in his homeland during the Beijing Winter games will not be penalised, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.
Vladyslav Heraskevych flashed a small sign in the colour of his country’s flag which read: ‘No War in Ukraine.’
The skeleton athlete made the gesture after completing his third run on Friday night.
There were concerns he would be censured by the IOC due to a rule which states that ‘no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.’
But the IOC characterised the sign as ‘a general call for peace’ and said they consider the matter closed.
Russia has massed more than 100,000 soldiers near Ukraine’s borders, raising fears it will invade its neighbour.
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Moscow denies plans to invade, but says it could take unspecified ‘military-technical’ action unless a series of its demands are met, including promises from NATO never to admit Ukraine and to withdraw forces from Eastern Europe.
Countries around the world are now urging their citizens in Ukraine to leave immediately following a US intelligence assessment that an attack could happen as early as Wednesday.
International leaders have been scrambling to find a diplomatic solution, with US President Joe Biden due to talk with Russian President Vladmir Putin later this evening.
There are fears an invasion will lead to food shortages and a new humanitarian crisis.
Asked if he was concerned about repercussions for making a political statement at the Olympics, Heraskevych said he hoped the organisers would be on his side.
The country’s Olympic Committee has asked reporters not to query Ukrainian competitors about politics, saying it ‘makes athletes lose the ground under their feet emotionally’.
Despite the tense situation at home, Heraskevych did his best to concentrate on his performance.
He ultimately finished 18th in a field of 20.
What is going on with Russia and Ukraine?
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin has been concerned about the West’s military expansion into what it sees as Russia’s backyard.
Nato, the US-dominated military alliance which the UK and the majority of European nations are members of, has expanded over the last two decades to cover eastern European and Baltic states.
Ukraine is recognised as an ‘aspiring member’ and has been growing institutionally closer to the West ever since the 2013 Euromaidan demonstrations led to the pro-Russian government being toppled by protesters who favour deeper ties with Europe.
President Vladimir Putin regards Ukraine – which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 – as a ‘red line’ and has called on the US and Nato to provide guarantees that it won’t become a member, something the West won’t do.
Russia wants to see Nato returned to something closer to its pre-1997 formation before eastern countries on its border joined, as well as the removal of military capabilities from places like Poland and Romania.
The situation between Russia and Ukraine is complicated by the historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine and the country is divided between people who feel more European and those who feel more Russian, especially in the country’s eastern areas.
President Putin regards Ukraine as part of ‘greater Russia’ and has written and spoken in the past about reuniting the Russian and Ukrainian people.
In 2014, Russia responded to the fall of the pro-Russian government in Kyiv by annexing Crimea. The peninsula to the south of Ukraine is still recognised as part of the country by the United Nations. Pro-Russian sepratist militants seized control of other areas in the country’s east. Ukraine estimates 7% of its territory is illegally occupied by Russia.
Armed conflict has rumbled on in parts of Ukraine ever since but a larger invasion appears to be closer now than ever before after Russia amassed huge military resources close to the border.
President Putin insists Russia is not planning to invade and it remains unclear whether the troop movement is a prelude to war or whether the Kremlin is using it to force guarantees on Nato expansion from the West.
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