Reuters reported on the IOC's firm position on Russia's return amid EU threats

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not intend to change its position on the participation of Russian athletes and the restoration of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), despite a letter from a number of European countries threatening to deprive the organization of funding. This was announced on July 15 by an IOC representative.

"The IOC must take into account the complex realities and consequences of the geopolitical situation. <...> The IOC must adhere to its mission to preserve a values-based and truly global sports platform that inspires hope in the world," the source told Reuters.

On July 14, Estonia and eight other EU countries proposed to the European Commission to deprive the IOC and a number of international sports organizations of funding for the admission of Russians to international competitions. In addition, the authors of the letter suggested reviewing the organization's participation in future European discussions and events dedicated to the development of sports.

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At the same time, the next day, the representative of the European Commission (EC), Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, admitted that the EC does not have the authority to deprive the IOC of funding, as it does not allocate funds to this organization.

According to Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports and head of the Russian Olympic Committee, the IOC's decision will accelerate the process of restoring all Russian athletes to the international arena. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the IOC's decision an important step. The recommendations of the committee have already been supported by the International Gymnastics Federation.