Explainer | Ukraine, Gaza, US-China: a guide to the global tensions hanging over the Paris Olympics
- The IOC revived the Olympic truce in 1992, but there is little sign of the hostilities in Ukraine or Gaza easing during this year’s Games
The belief in sport as a unifying force for peace is as old as the Olympics themselves – as is the reality that the Games have never been free from external tensions.
In 1992, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revived the Olympic truce, a tradition dating back to the Games’ roots in ancient Greece. At a time when ancient Greek city states were mired in incessant conflict, several leaders signed a treaty – the ekecheiria – to ensure athletes and spectators could safely take part in the Games.
While some issues are perpetually sensitive, this summer’s Olympics will be playing out at a particularly fraught time with conflicts raging across the globe.
Here, the Post looks at the major international tensions casting a shadow over the Paris Games.
War in Ukraine
Russia’s invasion took place four days after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, as troops reached the outskirts of the capital Kyiv with the aid of Belarus.
