Nine EU states demand funding cuts for IOC and sports federations over Russian readmission
The collective move marks the strongest financial leverage attempt by EU member states against international sports organisations following the provisional lifting of the Russian Olympic Committee’s suspension.
Nine European Union member states have formally requested that the EU cut financial support to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Aquatics, and the International Fencing Federation (FIE). The letter, addressed to European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef, argues that these organisations should be excluded from EU financial support programmes, including Erasmus+, due to their decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition.
The initiative, coordinated by Estonia’s Ministry of Culture, represents the most significant collective effort by EU member states to utilise the bloc’s financial leverage against international sports bodies regarding the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus. The nine nations—Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Sweden—have also proposed limiting the involvement of non-compliant organisations in key European sports forums and EU-led development discussions.
This diplomatic push follows the IOC Executive Board’s decision on 7 July 2026 to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. In its ruling, the board noted that previous restrictions, enacted in response to Russia’s war on Ukraine, were no longer applicable. The move sets the stage for a potential confrontation between European governments and the Olympic movement ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
In their correspondence, the nine nations emphasised that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back into competition disregards the circumstances facing Ukrainian competitors. They stated that Ukrainian athletes are unable to train under equal conditions due to displacement, the destruction of infrastructure, or enlistment in the armed forces. The letter asserted that any claims that sport can be separated from politics are hollow given the loss of innocent Ukrainian lives and the instrumentalisation of sport by the Russian and Belarusian regimes.
The letter cited respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations as core principles underpinning international sport and the Olympic movement. As of the report, the IOC, World Aquatics, and the FIE had not immediately replied to requests for comment regarding the proposed funding restrictions.
