By Dorcas Francis Koji
Ukraine’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Matvii Bidnyi, has strongly criticised the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) after the motorsport governing body lifted restrictions on Russian and Belarusian competitors.
The restrictions were introduced in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the FIA World Motor Sport Council voted on August 3 to ease the measures, following a similar move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Bidnyi argued that the circumstances that led to the original restrictions had not changed and that Russia’s continued war against Ukraine made the decision to relax the sanctions inappropriate.
Speaking as reported by BBC Sport, the Ukrainian minister said the situation had become even more serious since the initial restrictions were imposed.
“The reasons why Russia was banned from international sports competition have not disappeared. Nothing changes and it became even worse,” Bidnyi said.
He said Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine, along with Belarus’ continued military support for Moscow, made it difficult to understand why international sports organisations were softening their positions.
“Russia continues full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Belarus can continue to provide military support to Russia. Ukrainian people are still being killed every day. And Russian attacks become more and more brutal,” he said.
Bidnyi also warned that lifting restrictions could weaken the international pressure that has been placed on Russia since the invasion.
“When any federation lifts the ban and makes steps towards the aggressor, the terrorist state, it’s always really, really sad,” he said.
The minister described the FIA decision as a major disappointment for Ukrainians and argued that it undermines the collective efforts of the international community to pressure Russia over the war.
“It’s a massive disappointment for everyone in Ukraine. And we think it undermines the collective pressure that the international community has been building against the aggressor,” Bidnyi said.
He cited organisations including World Athletics and international biathlon authorities as examples of sports bodies that have maintained tougher restrictions on Russian participation.
Bidnyi further accused Russia of using elite sport to promote state interests and improve its international image.
“In Russia, elite sport is deeply connected with the military and state propaganda system. It’s one of the biggest whitewashing mechanisms. This is why we call it sportswashing,” he said.
The Ukrainian government has repeatedly highlighted the devastating impact of the war on the country’s sporting community, including the deaths of athletes and coaches and extensive damage to sports facilities.
Despite lifting restrictions on competitors, the FIA has maintained that events and competitions cannot be organised in Russia or Belarus. The governing body has also said it continues to monitor developments surrounding the war in Ukraine.
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