The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) stands with the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOCU), the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and Ukrainians around the world in condemning the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to provisionally lift the suspension of the russian Olympic committee.
This is a disgraceful and morally shameful decision. It comes as russian missiles and drones continue to kill Ukrainian civilians, destroy homes, schools and hospitals at unprecedented levels, and as the International Criminal Court (ICC) pursues arrest warrants for russia’s leadership. The message it sends is unmistakable: illegal aggression and grave violations of international law and human rights — condemned by the majority of United Nations member states — carry no consequence in global sport.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry defends the decision by arguing that athletes should not be punished for the actions of their governments. But this ignores the reality that sport in russia is a central part of the state. Athletes within the russian sporting system are affiliated with clubs and institutions officially tied to the russian military, security services, or state-owned enterprises that support and sustain the war effort. Others have publicly backed the invasion.
Meanwhile, more than 660 Ukrainian athletes have been killed since 2022, and more than 800 sporting facilities have been destroyed or damaged. russia has stolen the right of Ukrainian athletes to peace and human dignity, and the ability to train in their own country free from air raid sirens, death and destruction.
This decision is not just an injustice to Ukrainian athletes — it is a gift to the aggressor. Allowing russian national teams to compete in international sport gives the russian state a platform to legitimise its illegal war, sportswash its war crimes; and erode global support for Ukraine.
This is not a distant issue for Australia — and the AFUO has already raised the alarm.
In May 2026, the AFUO wrote to the Foreign Minister, Sports Minister, NSW Sports Minister and Water Polo Australia, regarding the participation of the russian national women’s team at 2026 Water Polo World Cup Finals in Sydney from 22-26 July 2026: a team with links to a sanctioned entity (Surgutnaftegas); a sanctioned individual (Dmitry Mazepin); the Dynamo russian sporting organisation, which has historic and institutional ties to russia’s security services; coaching staff linked to an agency named in the state-run doping program overseen by the russian Ministry of Sport; and support staff who work for an agency that answers directly to putin.
With Brisbane set to host the Olympic Games in 2032, Australia will increasingly be at the centre of decisions about who competes on the world stage — and under what conditions. Australia holds a principled position on russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and that principle should extend to who we allow to compete on our own soil.
The AFUO calls on:
- The IOC and World Aquatics to reverse the decisions allowing russian national teams to compete.
- The Albanese Government and Australian sporting bodies to publicly state that Australia does not support russia’s re-entry into the Olympic Games while its war on Ukraine continues.
- The Albanese Government to explain how it will screen entrants linked to sanctioned entities and individuals, russia’s security services, putin, or its state doping program ahead of the 2026 Water Polo World Cup Finals — and to make clear a russian flag on Australian soil is not welcome while Ukrainian cities burn as a result of russia’s ruthless attacks.
Australia has stood with Ukraine consistently since 2022. That solidarity should extend to our stadiums and pools, not just our diplomacy. Sport should never provide cover, legitimacy or propaganda value to a regime that continues to wage a brutal war of aggression, kill civilians and commit war crimes daily.
8 July 2026
