Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister put Wimbledon on blast after the All England Club decided to drop its ban on Russian and Belarusian players. The decision was announced on Friday, with players from the two nations allowed to compete under some strict conditions. And Dmytro Kuleba accused Wimbledon of “accommodating two accomplices in crime.”
Wimbledon is facing criticism after confirming that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in The Championships as neutrals this year. It was the only big tournament to ban players from the two nations in response to the war in Ukraine last year.
Following the All England Club’s decision to drop the ban, Ukrainian foreign minister Kuleba claimed the decision was “immoral”. He is now calling on the government to deny the players’ visas.
“Wimbledon’s decision to permit the participation of Russian and Belarusian players is immoral,” the minister of foreign affair tweeted on Friday. Kuleba also dubbed Russia and Belarus as “accomplices in crime” as he slammed the club for “accommodating them.”
He added: “Has Russia ceased its aggression or atrocities? No, it’s just that Wimbledon decided to accommodate two accomplices in crime. I call on the UK government to deny visas to their players.”
The Lawn Tennis Association also joined Wimbledon in allowing Russian and Belarusian players to return to their tournaments this year as neutrals. In a statement, the both the AELTC and LTA said that the athletes would be required to sign “neutrality agreements” and abide by strict rules.
Wimbledon says it will “prohibit expressions of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in various forms and prohibit entry by players receiving funding from the Russian and/or Belarusian states.”
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