European Aquatics Allows Athletes From Aggressor Nations In Ukraine War Back In
European Aquatics ignores Ukraine's plea to keep Russians at bay and turns a blind eye to the reasons why sports organisations are ill-equipped to make 'neutrality' judgements
European Aquatics has confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes can apply to compete as neutral athletes at the European Championships in Paris this summer.
The news comes as Russian Winter Olympic athletes compete in Milano-Cortina despite clear evidence of the links that some of them have to their country's military:
Russian athletes with military links - a BBC report - and this link, among outlets that covered the story:
Cyril Barabaltchouk
What the IOC, World & European Aquatics Ignore:
Misha Romanchuk, the Ukrainian Olympic and World-Champoonship medallist in distance freestyle, took to social media to note:
Unfortunately, this decision was made without taking into account the position of Ukraine, despite the fact that we have repeatedly communicated with representatives of European Aquatics and clearly stated our argued position
The decision has been made. And today, in my personal opinion, we have to clearly understand one thing:
all we can and should do is better prepare our athletes.
With even more motivation.
With some more sports rage.
With an even more desire to win.
It is through high results, through victories, through worthy performances that we will continue to glorify Ukraine, talk about it at European and global level and prove that Ukrainian sport is strong, principled and unbreakable 🇺🇦
In 2022:
Craig Lord
The European confirmation from the troubled continental federation that turned a blind eye to the reasons why its president, Antonio Silva, was deemed unfit for sports office at home in Portugal after an integrity investigation found against him:
Craig Lord
Craig Lord
The European Aquatcs decision on the aggressor nations in the war on Ukraine follows a statement from the governing body last November that changes to World Aquatics guidelines had been extended to all continental-level events. Slva s a vice-president of the global body, another organisation that has turned a blind eye to integrity issues when they involve one of their own.
The welcome-home sign s not only hung out for athlete but "support staff", which presents another layer of complexity that sports organisations have often proved they are ill-equipped to handle and discern. We note some prime examples n our FORUM:
Craig Lord
The statement from European Aquatics, followed by what they have turned a blind eye to.
The Statement:
European Aquatics wishes to inform its Member Federations about the participation of athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports in European Aquatics competitions. These procedures conform to guidance indicated in the following documents: i) a letter from the IOC Sports Director dated 19 December 2025 (document attached) and ii) World Aquatics Guidelines for Athlete Participation in Aquatics Events During Periods of Conflict (in force as of 1 February 2026)
Youth and Junior Events
Athletes holding a Russian or Belarusian passport competing in Youth and Junior categories will no longer be subject to restrictions regarding participation in European Aquatics competitions, in both individual and team events. Accordingly, for all non- Senior events, athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports will be permitted to participate without background checks and in full compliance with European Aquatics protocols relating to flags, anthems, uniforms, and associated elements, provided that the relevant national sports organisations are in good standing with European Aquatics.
Senior Events
For European Aquatics Senior events, subject to the applicable World Aquatics guidelines referred to above, athletes and their support personnel may participate in European Aquatics events upon application for and approval of “Neutral Athlete” status, in both individual and team events. The procedure to be followed will mirror the process applied during the 2025 European Aquatics Junior events for the relevant Junior athletes, which is attached to this letter for your reference.
For avoidance of doubt, support personnel in all youth, junior and senior events, will follow the same process applied during the 2025 European Aquatics Junior events.
What The Wilful Blind Eye Refuses To See, Believing that Sport Is Bigger Than the Rest of Real Life & Human Suffering
Our SOS Forum this week includes the following facts:
A quick tour of the costs of Russia's illegal war on Ukraine, its impact on the world economy, and, quite clearly, the economies and decisions of that biggest group of Olympic sports founders in the world: parents and family (let alone the rest of us, the taxpayers who make up the second-largest source of Olympic funding for athletes):
Ukraine:
Total Damages: estimates (from World Bank and other partners) place Ukraine’s losses at more than $524 billion between 2022 and late 2024, plus over €448 billion in reconstruction needs
Reconstruction Needs: the combined economic damage from 2014 to 2024 is estimated in the trillions, with significant military, social, and infrastructural costs continuing to escalate.
Infrastructural Damage: direct damage to infrastructure reached €150 billion by early 2025
Debt Explosion: Ukraine's debt had risen to over $160 billion, or 92% of its GDP, by 2025
Monthly War Cost: The Ukrainian Ministry of Finance has indicated a cost of roughly $10 billion per month to sustain the war.
The total economic damage, including the 2014 invasion of Crimea and the 2022 full-scale war, is estimated to be in the region of $1.36 trillion to the Ukrainian economy.
Russia:
Economic Impact on Russia: Russia has faced hundreds of billions in direct losses due to sanctions and frozen assets. Its 2022 capital destruction was measured at $322 billion.
Casualties and Human Cost: Combined war casualties for Russia and Ukraine are estimated to be close to 1.5 million people as of June 2025, which, in mercenary financial figures that placed a value of $1 million per life, has been said to equate to "$1.5 trillion in human cost"
Global costs:
Western nations and international institutions have allocated over $380 billion in total aid to Ukraine—including military, financial, and humanitarian support, according to data available through early 2025. The United States has been the single largest donor, but combined European aid (from EU institutions and individual nations) has surpassed US efforts in total commitments.
Key Donors and Total Aid (As of a year ago, early 2025)
United States (US) - over $180 billion in total aid (covering military, economic, and humanitarian support) to Ukraine and to related expenses like strengthening NATO forces. Direct military aid from the US is estimated at roughly $69 billion to $130 billion, depending on whether it includes the replacement of donated equipment.
European Union (EU): As a bloc, EU members have provided roughly €132 billion ($140B+) in aid, with a strong focus on financial and budgetary support to keep the Ukrainian government functioning.
Germany: The largest EU donor, with more than $13.6 billion in bilateral aid to Ukraine.
United Kingdom: One of the top donors, with roughly $21.2 billion ($29bn+ if we include future commitments).
Other Significant Contributors: Denmark (a NATO nation that has faced more attacks and insults from the current White House administration than Putin and Russia) the Netherlands, and Norway have also provided substantial, high-percentage-of-GDP support to Ukraine's defence.
So, there's no doubt: the costs, in terms of human life, the sovereign nation under attack, and the world economy are horrendous and astronomical.
Olympic response? Perhaps it's time to let Russia or Russians back into the fold in the face of massive opposition, not only from Ukrainians but many of the nations from which the world's leading athletes and podium-placers hail.
The only answer to the IOC and any suggestion that we're anywhere near a point at which Russians can return to Olympic sport without causing harm to many others is: No! нет! (said "nyet"). No, on every level above, starting with the horror of those estimated 1.5 million lives lost before we get to the financial nightmare.
The Games Putin Plays
The Olympic Movement has an appalling record when it comes to observing its own Charter on 'no politics': straight red lines and the threat of expulsion for athletes, but only random dashes and dots painted in fairy dust and fantasy games colours for governors who treat the Olympics like a Monopoly board, and give themselves a Games Get Out Of Jail Card whenever the need arises, it seems.
In that culture and mindset of one rule for them, another for us, Putin, the master of maskarad and manipulation, and recipient of the IOC's top honour, is in his element.
Yes, he was stripped of that honour and the one given to him by FINA; but not because he invaded Crimea and sports people were among the pawns he used to replace Ukrainian sovereignty with Russian colonialism, but because he 'broke the Olympic Truce' by sending his army across a border into a sovereign nation within the small bubble of 'peace' the IOC places around its 'apolitical' showcase.
Putin could not only care less about the IOC and its prizes and honours, conveyed or removed, but sees the whole Truce concept as yet another Achilles' heel to exploit. One take on the subject:
"Russia has long exploited the Olympic Truce as a ruse to launch its wars"
Daniel Kosoy
