Estonia Wants to Cut Off Funding to the IOC Over the Return of Russia and Belarus to Sports

Estonia, together with its partner countries, plans to call on the European Commission to review funding for sports organizations that support the return of Russia and Belarus to international competitions.

Specifically, Tallinn proposes excluding such organizations from the Erasmus+ program and other EU support mechanisms. This move comes in response to the decision to ease restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sports.

Estonian Minister of Culture Heidi Purga stated that sports are not value-neutral and always send a certain social message.

“Given the current security situation, it is impossible to understand decisions that seek to bring Russia and Belarus back into international sports as if nothing had happened. While hostilities are ongoing in Ukraine and people are suffering, we cannot allow sports to be used to normalize the situation. Sports are not value-neutral—they always convey a certain message. The question is whether we stand by our principles or abandon them. Europe must be clear and united on this: our support must not extend to organizations whose decisions contradict our values and our responsibility toward Ukraine,” Purga stated.

At Estonia’s initiative, a statement will be sent to Glenn Mikkalef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture, and Sports, proposing to exclude the IOC, as well as a number of other sports organizations, such as the International Fencing Federation and the International Water Sports Federation, from European Union funding programs.

It is also proposed to seriously consider restricting the participation of such organizations in discussions and events regarding the future development of the sports sector.

This was stated by Estonian Minister of Culture Heidi Purga, as quoted by ERR.

FIFA may reconsider Russia’s suspension following the IOC’s decision.

Earlier, the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee called the IOC’s decision to allow Russians to compete “shameful.”

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladislav Geraskevich called the International Olympic Committee’s decision to temporarily lift the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee’s activities “shameful.” The athlete stated that the IOC is ignoring the facts regarding the involvement of Russian sports organizations in the occupied territories of Ukraine.