Nine European countries have proposed stripping EU funding from the International Olympic Committee and international federations that have reinstated Russian athletes.
The move represents a significant escalation in the diplomatic dispute over the IOC's decision to ease restrictions on Russia, which has drawn sharp criticism from Baltic political leaders who argue it undermines the broader international effort to isolate Moscow.
The proposal targets the financial lifelines of sporting bodies that have chosen to reintegrate Russian competitors, signaling a shift from verbal condemnation to concrete economic pressure.
By leveraging EU budgetary tools, the coalition aims to enforce a stricter stance on sports sanctions, arguing that the IOC's current approach is inconsistent with the geopolitical reality of the war in Ukraine.
This development highlights a growing fracture within the European Union regarding the enforcement of sanctions.
While the nine-nation bloc pushes for punitive measures against the IOC, other member states, including Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, have recently sought to present a unified front against what they perceive as EU overreach in other policy areas. The divergent approaches complicate Brussels' ability to project a single, coherent voice on international sports governance.
The proposal is expected to face scrutiny in upcoming EU council meetings, where the balance between sporting autonomy and geopolitical solidarity will be debated.