Kenneth Glad
Pro-war commentators have accused Russian sporting officials of sacrificing Moscow’s territorial claims to secure the reinstatement of the country’s Olympic committee.
The Kremlin welcomed the provisional reinstatement of the Russian Olympic Committee, but nationalist commentators attacked the territorial conditions that allowed the suspension to be lifted.
On 7 July 2026, the International Olympic Committee provisionally ended the Russian Olympic Committee’s suspension. The IOC had imposed the penalty in October 2023 after the ROC admitted sporting bodies from four Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia, which the IOC said breached the territorial authority of Ukraine’s national Olympic committee.
The suspension was lifted after the ROC removed those organisations from its membership and assured the IOC that it would not carry out activities in the affected territories.
Nationalists reject the terms
The condition concerns Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, regions President Vladimir Putin has declared part of Russia despite their international recognition as Ukrainian territory.
Politico reported that Russian journalist and pro-war blogger Dmitry Steshin accused the ROC of giving away territory claimed by Russia simply to regain Olympic access.
The pro-war Telegram channel InfoWAR described the reinstatement conditions as state-level sabotage and called the ROC “a committee of traitors.”
Other commentators blamed Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov for what they described as a diplomatic failure. Blogger Dmitry Konanykhin questioned why the minister had presented the reinstatement as a victory when the ROC had removed the regional organisations from its membership and promised not to operate in those territories.
Degtyaryov rejected that interpretation in an interview with television host Vladimir Solovyov. According to TV 2, he argued that the ROC had changed only its organisational structure and had not abandoned Crimea or other territories claimed by Moscow.
Ukraine appeals IOC decision
Ukraine’s Olympic committee has appealed the provisional reinstatement, arguing that it conflicts with the Olympic Charter. It also cited later Russian statements maintaining that occupied Ukrainian territories remain part of Russia.
Denmark’s national Olympic committee and sports confederation also opposed the IOC ruling. Chairman Hans Natorp said Russia had not demonstrated sufficient change in its approach to sporting autonomy, fair play, anti-doping standards or Olympic values.
The reinstatement does not guarantee entry for every Russian athlete or team. International federations retain authority over participation.
Russian athletes admitted to competition must meet the relevant anti-doping requirements. The IOC will decide separately whether Russian flags, anthems, colours or other national symbols may appear at future Olympic Games.
The IOC has said it will continue monitoring ROC activity in the Ukrainian territories and may impose further measures if the conditions are breached.
Sources: TV 2, Politico, IOC
