Macron hopes for an “Olympic truce” in Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron in an interview with a French channel BFMmarking 100 days until the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris, said he still hopes for the establishment of the so-called Olympic Truce during the Games, from July 26 to August 11.

According to Macron, during the games a truce should be declared in the war in Ukraine, as well as in other large-scale conflicts, in particular in the Gaza Strip and Sudan. According to Macron, he seeks to “involve many partners” to achieve this goal, among them he mentioned Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Macron also promised to ensure the safety of the Games in the face of the terrorist threat. “If there is a place where your son will be safe, it will be at the Olympics,” said Emmanuel Macron, answering one of the questions. After the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Macron noted that the recognized terrorist group Vilayat Khorasan (the Afghan branch of IS) was also preparing terrorist attacks in France.

Macron supported the decision of the International Olympic Committee on the issue of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Due to Russian aggression against Ukraine, they can only participate in the Games in a neutral capacity. Macron called the IOC decision “proportionate and fair,” while calling for respect for athletes from Russia and Belarus who will still come to the Games. “Russia is not invited, its leader cannot be invited, but athletes without an anthem, without flags will participate in competitions,” the president noted. A number of Russian officials and public figures criticized athletes who agreed to participate in the Games in a neutral status, but the Russian authorities did not formally announce a boycott of the Games.

Macron also disagreed that Israeli athletes in connection with the war in the Gaza Strip should be subject to the same sanctions as the Russians, noting that one may not agree with Israel’s methods of warfare, but Israel does not participate in role of the aggressor, but responds to the attack.