The head of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Matviy Bidny, and the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, Vadym Gutzeit, held an informal meeting with representatives of Ukrainian and foreign media, during which they announced that Ukraine is going to the Olympics. The meeting took place off the record. Details of Ukraine's participation in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris were discussed at the meeting.
These Games are of particular importance to Ukraine, as they provide an opportunity to show the world our will and strength of spirit. Ukraine's slogan for the Olympic Games is "The Will to Win."
This time, the Olympics mean, first and foremost, a large platform to the world for Ukraine. We must remind the world that Ukraine exists, fights, and is capable of winning. The fact that Ukraine competes under its flag in Paris is a strong manifestation of willpower.
Since the full-scale invasion began, over 450 Ukrainian athletes, including world champions, have been killed. Russian occupiers have destroyed or damaged over 500 sports facilities, including 15 Olympic training bases. Despite this, Ukrainian athletes continue to train and earn licenses for the Olympic Games.
"Our athletes are heroes who train under occupation, under fire, often losing loved ones. Their courage and will to win deserve the highest respect and support," it was said at the meeting.
The mother of the Kharkiv athlete Kateryna Tabashnyk was killed in a missile attack. In Mykolaiv, the mother of the famous Ukrainian athlete Svitlana Malkova was killed during enemy shelling. Anastasiia Chyzevska, a wrestler from Luhansk, lost her father in the war with Russia and dedicated her victory in competitions to him. Young athlete Yana Stepanenko, who lost her legs in a rocket attack on the Kramatorsk railway station, ran the Boston Marathon on prosthetics.
Participants in the meeting expressed gratitude to international partners who provided shelter and training facilities for Ukrainian athletes. They also emphasized the importance of continuing to fight against the participation of Russian and Belarusian citizens in the Olympic Games.
No country wants peace more than Ukraine. But Ukrainians also know that the path to true and just peace in the world lies through victory and the expulsion of occupiers from Ukrainian soil.
"Ukraine bravely defends our common peaceful space every day. That is why we call on the international community to unite at the Inaugural Peace Summit, which will take place on June 15-16 in Switzerland. This Summit will be a platform for important discussions and the development of a joint action plan based on the Ukrainian Formula for Peace."
The Ukrainian Formula for Peace includes 10 points and is built on our shared principles, such as radiation and nuclear safety, food and energy stability, and guarantees territorial integrity and justice in the world. These values ​​are the basis for a stable and secure future.
Meeting participants noted that by supporting this Summit, they express their commitment to the principles of Olympism, which the aggressor also seeks to undermine.
"We call on all those who share the values ​​of peace, justice, and sports brotherhood to actively support the efforts to hold the Inaugural Peace Summit. Together, we can resist aggression and restore peace," they said at the meeting.
Ukraine's participation in the Olympic Games is a victory of our spirit, will, and faith in the future. We call on the international community to continue to support Ukraine in its struggle for peace and justice for the whole world.
