MOSCOW, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia will continue to steadily pursue its interests in international sports, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports held at the Kremlin.
Putin criticized countries opposing Russia's participation in international sports, saying they were disregarding the principles of the Olympic Charter.
"In general, they are simply once again demonstrating that there are no universal rules, only rules that serve their own interests," Putin said. "We must consistently and calmly advance our interests. This is what we will do in all areas."
Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev said at the gathering that Russian athletes have seen a notable expansion of their international competition participation. In the first 10 months of this year, Russian athletes competed in 1,673 international competitions. In 2025, this figure was 1,148 competitions.
The figures come amid a series of decisions by the International Olympic Committee. In February 2022, the committee recommended suspending Russian athletes from international competitions. In March 2023, it recommended allowing them to compete as neutral athletes in individual events, and in July 2026, it recommended removing restrictions on senior athletes.
