Theater of the absurd. The IOC has lifted all restrictions on Russian athletes. Today, on the day this video is being recorded, our city is once again under shelling — yesterday was a day of mourning for those killed in the Russian attack. And now, seeing this absolutely shameful decision just feels like some kind of unbelievable absurdity. This decision is not about the neutrality of sport. This decision is about rejecting reality. The IOC completely ignores the facts that Russian sport plays a huge role in Russian propaganda. The FSB still remains in charge of the Russian anti-doping agency, and it is run by the very same people who poisoned Russian dissidents with “Novichok.” Yet the IOC ignores this fact. Russian athletes are fighting on the front lines, but the IOC calls them “innocent.” Russian athletes are involved in activities with kidnapped Ukrainian children, but the IOC doesn’t care about Ukrainian victims. They would rather disqualify Ukraine than face the reality of the present day. Sanctions were lifted from Russia solely based on a statement by the Russian Olympic Committee claiming they no longer operate in the occupied territories — even though the reality is completely different. The facts of their activities in the occupied territories are publicly known, but the IOC couldn’t care less. The current leadership of the IOC is a disgrace to the Olympic movement. These are people with no morality or principles whatsoever. In 1936, the Olympic Games already served as a tool for spreading the propaganda of one dictator. It looks like we are seeing exactly who inspires the current IOC leadership. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) must give a strong response to this shameful decision, and countries should finally consider imposing a visa ban on Russian athletes.